Remnant
by Tofazz
Summary: "Take it easy; drift through life!" Rainbow Dash's life has mainly been about two things: Wonderbolts and her friends. But in the end, we all need to grow up, to take choices that you normally wouldn't consider.
1. The Best Night Ever

**The Best Night Ever**

As she looked into the mirror, Dash sighed. What she saw just didn't feel right. Rarity had convinced her that she needed to look fashionable tonight, but this was a bit much. Her multicolored mane was braided into a ponytail tied together with a brooch at the bottom. The small item glimmered with tiny stones of different colors, in the middle of it sat a bright red heart shaped gem embedded with delicate golden letters reading '_Blue Feather_'. She stared at the brooch, she hadn't put much thought to it, but Rarity had insisted that she '_simply had'_ to wear the brooch along with her dress.

Dash smirked; what was it Rarity had said? Something along the lines of: 'You _must_ wear it, the one who gave it to you might very well be at the gala. It would be _the worst_ thing if you did not wear it and he showed up.'

She adjusted it uncomfortably as she remembered how Twilight had taken a light hearted jab at her for her tom-colt attitude. The purple mare had smirked while she nudged Dash in the sides. 'Now Rarity, keep an open mind, it might just be that the secret admirer is a mare.' It's not that she minded the lighthearted humor they had between them, she felt quite the opposite really, she welcomed it.

Dash turned to the side looking at her dress as the rainbow colored gown slid behind her, ending in details looking like clouds. She shook her hoof and looked at the golden hoof-wear tied up her leg, it was comfortable to wear. She wiggled her flank around and adjusted her golden leaf like crown, she had to admit, Rarity _had_ done a good job with this dress. The cyan mare's cheeks got a faint shade of red, it was hard for her to say, but in this getup she felt... pretty.

While looking in the mirror she saw pearl white light striking the floor through a window, illuminating bigger parts of the room. Next to the mirror on a small table, stood a candle which flickered in a soothing orange glow, gently kissing her cheeks with warmth.

She turned her head towards the window, she heard the girls outside, chatting over how great this night would be, the best night ever. Dash took a last look in the mirror, Rarity had puffed up her face with mascara, she felt a bit uncomfortable by it, but as Rarity said: '_Darling!_ It brings out your beautiful eyes, you _must_ stop denying yourself this. Even an athlete like you needs to feel pretty sometimes.' Rarity was probably right when it came to this, but Dash couldn't help feeling strange as she looked at herself, it wasn't her, but for some reason it felt entirely comfortable.

She shook her head as she started to make her way out; Dash stopped as she reached the nightstand next to her bed. On it lay a small locket the brooch had arrived in, it shone greatly considering the dim light that was in the room. Dash tilted her head, her eyebrows cocked up as she stared at the engravings. On the top, her cutie mark had been engraved with great detail. Looking at the sides, one could read delicate letters spelling a verse '_When the heart makes a promise the mind has to keep, it leaves only truth to find. When a spirit is crushed, making scars so deep, will love bloom again between you and I?_'

Dash didn't get into much thought about it, after all, she was awesome, she was bound to have a secret admirer somewhere. Though Twilight, the egg-head she is, just had to point out that the inscription mentioned 'again'. And of course it was followed by a lot of questions from the others, like who was she with before, did she crush somepony's heart in the past...

Dash snorted, she wasn't the kind of mare to forget her companions. The only one who didn't ask any questions was Twilight, she just stood in the back and stared at the locket, before she eventually turned her light violet eyes at Dash as she pressed forth a shallow smile.

She stroked her hoof over the locket, feeling the details of the engravings. She had to admit, she was curious, how could she not be? Somepony had made a huge effort in creating this locket and brooch, just for her. Retracting her hoof, she felt an uneasy void growing in her stomach as she wondered if she would meet the sender tonight.

The door creaked as Dash made her way out, she walked through the hallway draped in a dim lustrous light. She stopped before a window looking out at her friends, letting go of a chuckle as she spotted Rarity adjusting Fluttershy's dress.

The white fashionista flew over every inch of Fluttershy, who stood frozen with a terrified look smeared over her face. Rarity shook her head in a melodramatic gesture as she adjusted the small leaf like hoof-wear, nodding quickly, she moved over to the green gown. Lastly she jumped up in front of the yellow mare and fixed the blue butterfly brooches in place, she stared at it a little before letting go of a happy glee. Fluttershy's cheeks tinted over to a faint shade of red before she slowly nodded towards Rarity.

Dash continued to make her way out, pushing the heavy wooden door open. Squinting as a bright light shone from a lamp right over the entrance; before she could gather her wits, she felt a warm embrace around her neck.

Her pupils dilated as she focused on Twilight standing in front of her with a warm smile. The bright illumination cast a glimmering shine to the light colored stars on the dark blue dress. Twilight lifted a hoof to her ear, adjusting her ear-star before she focused her eyes on Dash, standing in the light, her bright violet eyes glimmering in a brilliant luster.

Twilight ran a hoof across Dash's braided mane as she smiled at her. "You look beautiful, Dash."

Dash turned her head slightly away as her cheeks got a tint of red in them. "Thanks, Twi, you don't look so bad yourself."

Twilight stared at the brooch in Dash's mane with empty eyes, she slowly nodded while distantly answering. "Thank you."

Dash furrowed her eyebrows. "Something wrong?"

Twilight stood still for a while as she seemingly let the question sink in, she slowly shook her head. "No... I'm just wondering who sent you this delicate piece of jewelry."

She sighed. "I'm as clueless as you."

Twilight smiled, seemingly reassured by Dash' statement, she looked up at the star filled sky. "Beautiful evening, isn't it?" She tilted her head down, facing Dash. "Come on, the others are probably waiting."

Dash stood back a little as she watched her friend walk away; she smirked, thinking back on the recent year. Her and Twilight had become close lately as Dash' interest for reading had increased. Twilight had happily shown her more books than she thought have possibly even existed in Equestria.

For the last half year or so, they'd had almost weekly meetings, or sleepovers as Twilight loved to call them. They had their own places in the library which was stacked up with books relevant to their interests, often sitting under a blanket while sipping on a hot beverage as they read.

One night though, when Twilight was feverish, she asked to sit under the blanket together with Dash. At first, she had felt uncomfortable in the situation, but the contact felt... good. She read aloud for her friend that night, until she fell asleep in her lap.

"You coming, Dash?"

Dash snapped out of her thoughts, staring right at Twilight, who stood there patiently smiling. "Y-yeah... sorry, got a bit lost in thoughts there."

As they made their way to the rest of the group, Dash turned her head up, looking at the faint glimmer of the stars above. Twilight was right, it was a beautiful evening. She smiled as her eyes wandered across the landscape as they walked, fresh dew lay on top of the grass, making the dim light from the moon reflect off the ground, glistening softly as short gusts tufted the grass over to the side.

Scouting down the streets of Ponyville she spotted a few ponies walking between the street lights, either getting ready to close up for the day, or making the final preparations for a night of work. A small group of fireflies danced while their lights flickered in tact with their graceful movements, the little group of insects danced together with the reflection of the moon in the river that went outside of the town.

She felt a hoof softly patting her on the back. "You alright, Dashie?"

Dash blinked and stared into Applejack's emerald green eyes. "Yeah, I'm just a bit absent-minded today."

Applejack took a step back, her dress was the same as last time they were at the gala, green with dark and light brown details, finished with a fancy hat, apple brooches and buttons. A grin tugged itself over her face, putting great contrast between her light orange coat and her teeth. "You worried bout that brooch, arnt ya?" Playfully she nudged Dash in the side. "Ah'm sure no pony would think of standing you up on a date, you are after all... how y'all say it? Tha most awesome pegasus in the whole Equestria."

Furrowing her eyebrows, she glared at Applejack. "It's _not_ that..." She halted her sentence as she swallowed hard and looked around at her friends. "It's just that... I feel like I should remember something about the name on the brooch. I feel like I have heard it before... I just can't place it."

From behind Applejack, a pink mare jumped forth with a grin to challenge the sun. "O-o-oh! A guessing game!" As she landed, her pink dress draped behind her, the light blue and white details shone in contrast in the pale moonlight. Adorned with small buttons resembling different type of candy, complemented by pink hoof-wear and a big pink ribbon.

Pinkie Pie fluttered her eyelashes and took a deep breath. "It's Caramel! The way he looked at you when the Flim Flam Brothers were here, it's gotta be him!"

Dash placed her hoof on her forehead. "Pinkie... It's no-"

"If it's not Caramel, it _must_ be that Wave Chill fellow!"

"Pinkie... it's not tha-"

"Oh! I know! It must be Soa-"

"Pinkie!" Rarity stared at Pinkie Pie with an angry glare. "Who Rainbow Dash' suitor is, is _none_ of our business!"

Pinkie froze and looked at the white fashionista who stood in front of her in a light pink dress, embroidered with butter yellow lines in the ruffles of her gown. The opals covering it glimmered softly. The pink mare scraped the ground, before looking at Dash. "I'm sorry, Dash, I got a bit carried away."

Dash let go of a long drawn sigh. "It's alright, Pinkie, no harm no foul, right?"

Rarity clapped her hooves together. "Splendid, let's get going shall we? A lady shows up in good time, and our transport has been here for some time."

Looking over Rarity's shoulder, she saw a vintage carriage waiting. The black vinyl color shone as if it had been newly polished, around the edges it had a bleak wooden texture. In the front, a driver sat on a velvet cherry red cushion. He smiled as he saw the six mares approach the carriage.

As he jumped down, his black suit clung on to him, and just barely shifting the white bib on his chest. He tipped his black top-hat, and greeted them with a smile between his light brown beard, which ran from over his muzzle and all the way back to his ears.

He pressed down on a pedal under the door of the wagon, releasing a metal spring loaded step, making the entering of the carriage easier. The inside had a rustic style to it, there were two sets of cushions inside colored in the same cherry red color as the one at front. Behind each of the sitting areas hung small oil lamps with a flame that flickered as a small gust of wind blew through. Between the sitting places there was a small table with a dark oak color, on the edges there were a few delicate silver glass holders. The walls had much of the same texture as the small table except for small golden leaf details.

As they entered the carriage, Dash took a seat closest to the window. Twilight rushed past Fluttershy and sat down next to her, smiling softly. She returned the smile and shifted a bit to the side so Twilight could sit better.

Applejack put down a small keg before the table as she closed the door behind her, she looked around before she let go of a grin. "Ah saved some of the cider we made this summer just fer tonight."

Rarity pushed forward and opened up a small box under the table, drawing out six crystal glasses. "Splendid! You _could_ have told me, Applejack, but luckily, a lady is always prepared."

As Applejack slowly poured their drinks, Rarity handed them out as they got filled. The white mare raised her glass. "To the-"

"U-uhm... Rarity... how did you afford this carriage?"

Rarity turned her head towards Fluttershy who hid as good as she could behind the thin glass. "Do not ponder on that, Fluttershy, price or terms of acquirement is not of importance tonight."

Rarity smiled as she continued. "To the best night ever!"

Everypony shouted the toast simultaneously as they struck their glasses together. Taking a small sip of the cider, Rarity tapped her hoof on the ceiling of the carriage, signaling to the driver that they were ready to leave. The wagon yanked forward before it continued on at a steady pace.

Dash followed the landscape with her eyes as they passed it; in the background she heard buzzing from conversations her friends were having. They discussed everything from how Pinkie planned on making an ice cream pizza filled with cupcake dough, or how much work Rarity had been having after she got an order from Hoity Toity.

Dash turned her head as she felt something on her shoulder. Twilight had been up many nights before today to deliver a study on the effects of Poison Joke to the academy in Equestria, and now it seemed that fatigue had overtaken her, along with a few glasses of cider as she now slept soundly on Dash' shoulder.

She smiled as her eyes stared out the window again, Dash appreciated Twilight's company. She was smart and caring in her own clumsy way, but that was what made her who she was.

Dash' mind wandered off to the night where she had read aloud for Twilight, it was that night she realized that Twilight was becoming more than a friend to her. Twilight was growing to become the sister Dash had never had. Growing up as an only child was strange. Dash had looked at other ponies wandering around with their brother or sister and had always wondered how it would be if she had one, someone she could share everything with, and for the last year, she had gotten the chance to experience that with Twilight.

She almost let go of a small squeak as she thought of her plan to get into the Wonderbolts; meet up with Spitfire and challenge her to a race. When she managed to beat the _leader_ of the Wonderbolts in a race, there would be no doubt, she would become a Bolt.

Dash nudged Twilight softly as she spotted the castle in the horizon. "Wake up Twilight, we're here."

Twilight opened her eyes as she looked around, she let go of a yawn as she shifted her mane back in place. "Sorry, I'm just a little tired from the amount of work I've been doing lately."

Rarity giggled while holding a hoof in front of her lips, her cheeks had a small hint of red in them. "That's_quuuuite_ alright my dear, but see now, we are here."

Applejack gently took away Rarity's glass. "Hey now... seems like you have had a'nough to drink for tonight."

The carriage slowed down to an halt, after a few seconds they heard the sound of the metal step being released before the door swung open. The coach stallion stood beside the open door and smiled. "M'ladies, we have arrived."

Dash sat still watching as the group left the wagon, smirking a little as she saw Rarity stumbling out in a _not_ very ladylike way. Dash stepped carefully down and looked around letting go of a gasp as she saw the Canterlot Castle towering over the city.

From the yard where the arrivals came in by wagon all the way to the entrance, there were small lanterns hanging. The wind that shifted through the open plains before the castle caused them to dance joyfully.

Ponies came from all parts of Equestria, arriving at the castle in different ways of transport. From the looks of it, most of the residents from Cloudsdale arrived by a cart pulled up to a landing platform at the upper part of the castle, a long pathway lead towards a gate draped in the same fashion as the one they had arrived on. The only difference were the small bulbs of light around the platform which they landed on.

Around the walls bright red pieces of cloth were tied up to the windows, arching down while ruffling calmly in the wind. Overhead, small groups of weather patrol pegasi flew with a brightly colored dust which lay itself in the wind creating distorted rainbows.

Dash turned around and spotted Rarity in the arm of the kusk, giggling like a teenage mare with her first crush. The white mare ran her hoof over the stallions mustache. "You _must_ excuse my indecent behaviour, but that is a_magnificent_ piece of muzzle hair."

His eyes jolted over towards Dash, screaming a silent cry for help, before he fumbled forth words in answer. "T-thank you, Miss, but I have to go."

Dash let go of a chuckle as Applejack grabbed a hold of Rarity and pulled her away. The coach stallion was not one to be asked twice to leave as he darted to the carriage the moment he was free of Rarity's grip.

Looking around she noticed that Pinkie had already gone inside, she spotted Fluttershy helping Applejack taking Rarity over to a bench nearby. Dash saw the huge gate which lead inside and remembered that she had her own reason for being there besides having fun.

She stopped mid trot as she heard Twilight calling her, Dash turned around facing her friend. "What is it, Twilight?"

Twilight walked towards her while she looked at the scenery around them. "It's magnificent isn't it?"

Dash cocked one of her brows up as she watched Twilight closing the gap between them. "I... guess."

Twilight turned her eyes towards Dash. "Listen... there's something I wanted to talk to you about." Twilight stood right in front of her and looked at her with a faint tint of red in her cheeks. "Dash... lately we've grown close, and I... wanted you to know that I really enjoy spending time with you and..." She turned her head down and stared at the ground.

Dash smiled and placed a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "I enjoy the time we spend together as well... you're like the sister I never had, a pony I can share everything with."

Twilight's eyes dilated as Dash spoke those words and she started scraping the stones with her hoof. "Oh..."

Dash tilted her head to the side and looked at her friend. "Something wrong?"

Twilight shook her head. "N-no..." She lifted her head and pressed forth a smile towards Dash. "I-I'm glad you see me as family..."

Dash put her hooves around her friend. "After tonight we should get together and read again, it's been too long."

Twilight nodded slowly and answered distantly. "Yeah..."

Dash turned around and yelled back at her friend as she started to trot to the gate. "I'll see you inside."

She handed her ticket to the curator at the gate and headed inside; she stopped only meters past the gate and stood frozen in awe. The room was big enough to hold a full grown dragon standing up. The crimson floor carpets had been rolled out leading through every door in the main hall. Huge support columns stretched from the roof and merged with the floor around a decorative rock sleeve.

In the very middle of the room there was a banquet with food for all types of tastes, everything from hay to exotic fruits. Around it was stacked with many small tables, some occupied by couples or a small gang of friends.

Dash felt a stab in her stomach as she saw a stallion flirting with a mare at the far end of the room. She ran her hoof down her mane and stopped at the brooch, feeling the details as her hoof went over it.

She shook her head and started to make her way to the pavilion; if everything went according to plan, she would meet the Wonderbolts there and impress them enough to let her join the team.

Dash grinned to herself; there was no way she could fail two times, she was too awesome for that. When everything was over and she was a Wonderbolt trainee, she would spend the rest of the night with her friends. Letting go of a chuckle she proclaimed to herself. "Tonight will be the best night ever!"


	2. For My Sake

For My Sake

Dash took a heavy breath, she had to stay calm, no way the Wonderbolts would accept a nervous wreck. They would probably scoff at her if she showed up in this condition; she rubbed her chest as she felt her heart rate increase rapidly.

Leaving the entrance hall, she followed the sound of relaxing music, as the sound grew stronger she felt her pulse slow down. The sound of her hooves hitting the velvet carpet started to sound in tact with the rhythm of the music that pulsated through the castle. Drawing closer to the door, she felt it ripple through her gown, forcing it to weave back and forth. Lit torches hung on the wall releasing a orange flickering light, passing by each torch she felt the warmth of the flames embracing her, softly caressing her cheeks.

The gate towered up into an arch over her with bright light shooting out from the room behind it, illuminating the hallway she walked in. She felt a pang of hunger as she was met with a barrage of delicious smells. She squinted as the fully lit room leaned over her, offering a display of majestic subtlety and comfort.

She had been here many times before but the castle never ceased to amaze her; the support columns stretched up bending into an arch near the roof, while the bottom was encased by a rock sleeve which had engravings of the kingdoms history on them. Floating around the room, small orbs of light danced in tact with the rhythm of the castle orchestra, lighting up the room while flickering with a soothing warmth. The walls were adorned with huge banners of the ruling sisters, each in the color palette of the princesses.

Near the back wall a table leaned, ladened with delicious food from all corners of Equestria. Feeling a ripple in her stomach, Dash made her way towards the vast selection of food, almost crashing into several couples that danced together. After reaching the table, she realized that they were dancing together in a gentle embrace having eyes for nopony else than their significant other.

Dash' eyes glanced over the table. _A bite to eat will calm me down for sure._

Chewing on a bite of creamed hay from the ever exclusive Manehattan, she let her eyes wander over the sea of ponies in front of her. At the other end of the room she spotted Octavia sitting in front of the orchestra leading them on with the tunes of her own creation. Dash watched as her grey hooves wandered over her cello, and for a short time, she felt that time stood still as she listened. Octavia opened her violet eyes and smiled as she saw everypony dancing and enjoying her music, before she closed them again and led the gala into an illusion made from her tunes.

As she swallowed the last bite of her creamed hay, she felt her throat getting rasped. Spying a crystal bowl filled to the brim with light red liquid she picked up a glass and dipped it. Taking a sip, Dash smirked, today she would become a Bolt, she was sure of it.

"Rainbow?"

Dash choked on the drink and started coughing violently. Heaving for air she turned around staring right into Twilight's eyes.

Twilight smiled towards her. "Everything alright, Dash? You seem a bit... jumpy."

Pounding her chest she smiled back. "Yeah! Nothing to worry about! You just scared me a bit."

Twilight arched her brow up looking at Dash. "If you say so..."

Twilight's head turned towards the dance floor staring at it mesmerized by how all the ponies danced in tact with the tunes, making it seem like from above that the floor was moving. "Did you know, Dash, that they say if two ponies dance together and they are meant to be together, their hearts will form a bond forever making them inseparable."

Dash smirked as she took another sip, swallowing before she turned to Twilight. "Do you _really_ believe that, Twi? I mean, I would expect something like that from Fluttershy, but I didn't expect you to be so gullible."

She shook her head. "No, I don't believe it... but it _is_ a nice thought, isn't it?"

"So... uhm..." Scraping her hoof along the floor Twilight stared down. "Do you want to try?"

"Try... what exactly?"

A tint of red emerged in Twilights cheeks. "To dance..."

Dash sputtered out the newly taken sip and stared at Twilight. "You do realize who you're asking right? I don't dance, Twi."

She bit her lip as she glanced over at her friend, before letting go of a sigh. "Look, I'm sorry; I was just surprised at the question." Dash laid her hooves on Twilight's shoulders and smiled warmly at her. "I'm sure however, that any stallion in this room would be overjoyed to dance with you."

Twilight flopped her ears back and muttered. "But I don't want to dance..."

Tilting her head to the side, Dash strained to hear what her friend was saying. "Can you speak louder? I can't hear you over the music."

Twilight took a deep breath before she continued. "I don't want to dance with anypony else than you, Dash. P-please, will you dance with me tonight?"

"Twilight... I don't dance."

"Just this once Dash, for me?"

Lifting her hoof up she let go of a sigh. "_Fine!_ But I have something to do first, I'll come back here and give you_one_ dance, that's all, _one_ dance."

Dash felt a small tug in her stomach as Twilight's eyes beamed up at her. She smiled before turning away. Looking back at Twilight she softly spoke. "I'll be back soon, Twi."

She felt her hooves getting heavier with each step walked over the tiles, each one sending a ripple to her very core. The music in the room faded away like white noise being heard from behind an invisible wall. She gently stroked her chest, feeling as if her heart would jump out any second, tugging her down in an overwhelming darkness.

The gate leading to the balcony towered over her, bidding her welcome to the other side. She halted and stared through the arching hole in the wall, her eyes failing to recognize the alien shapes that walked outside. Taking a deep breath, she readied herself. _Come on Dash! Through that gate, your biggest dream can come true, you gotta bring your A-game._

A small gust nipped at her body, tufting her mane to the side as she stepped through. Her hooves slid over the soft velvet fabric that had been laid on top of the tiles, stretching over every corner of the balcony. Waiters rushed past each other with trained precision, nodding quickly to one another.

She stopped as she spotted a group of ponies standing near the edge of the balcony, something about them seemed familiar. They were dressed in their finest clothing adorned with delicate details of high quality; they seemed young in their behavior, yet old in their appearance.

She felt a short stab in her stomach as she saw one of them break into tears, moving a little closer she heard him say with a wavering voice. "She's my mother! Isn't there anything I can do? There must be something!"

One of the older ponies in the group laid a hoof on his shoulder. "I'm afraid we can't do anything other than keeping her comfortable, I'm sorry."

A mare stood outside of the group, with tears running down her cheek while she looked at the scene unfolding in front of her. Dash locked her eyes onto her, something was very familiar with this elderly mare, the palette of colors sat eerily in her mind. Shaking her head, she moved further away, distancing herself from the sight.

The banners on the walls flapped together with the flicker of light from the torches as a gust of wind swept over the balcony. Dash smiled as her mind wandered off to her last training session, the feeling of the wind tugging her mane, shifting it from side to side. She watched as ponies grabbed a hold of their belongings while making their way to a still place. She took a deep breath, she never understood why ponies hid from the wind, it was so refreshing, it made her feel alive.

Making her way towards the conference room she felt her body pulsating faster as the gate towered over her; inside she spotted the Wonderbolts surrounded by a throng of fans. Soarin' and Spitfire took the lead in greeting the crowd, giving the members that were less accustomed to the attention some slack. They smiled warmly to anypony that greeted them, giving the average pony something to smile about that night.

She swallowed as she tried to figure out what to say, it wasn't just to walk up and challenge her, was it? Her eyes furrowed, what did she worry about? She _had_ saved them before, they could at least give her a chance to prove herself. Right?

Dash pushed aside ponies as she pried her way towards Spitfire. Upon reaching the front of the crowd of fans she waved, desperately trying to get her attention. The leader smiled towards her, indicating for her to come through the ropes separating the Bolts from the crowd.

Dash swallowed, Spitfire herself had acknowledged her presence, and wanted to talk. Spitfire stopped as they reached a small white round table adorned with blue Wonderbolt markings, encircled by tiny stools with matching details. The sound of the crowd was dampened around the sitting group; Spitfire's face tugged back to a grin as she turned to face Dash. "So... you want to be a Wonderbolt, eh?"

Met with the prospect of the situation, Dash merely managed to fumble forth small clunks of a sentence. "Ehm... y- yeah... very... how...?"

The mare in front of her let go of a high pitched laugh as she sat down on one of the stools, her deep blue gown slid down behind her laying itself softly on the floor. She lifted a hoof, adjusting the blue ring that embraced her golden braided mane, before she indicated for Dash to sit down next to her.

Pouring a drink from a mug that stood in the middle of the table, she turned to face Dash. "You're wondering how I knew? Except for the obvious?"

Taking a sip of her drink she reached her hoof behind the lightning brooch which prided her chest, drawing forth a folded piece of paper. "You have an admirer, I received this two nights before the gala." Sliding it over the table towards Dash, she smiled. "Here, take a read, I think you might find it _quite_ interesting."

Her eyes rested on the folded note before she slowly opened it, reading loudly in her head.

_Dear Spitfire._

_At this years gala, a mare with a rainbow colored mane will approach you with the desire to join the Wonderbolts. You know her, this mare, Rainbow Dash, has saved your life before, along with some of the other Wonderbolts._

_I will not force you to accept her into the Wonderbolts, but considering what she have done for you and the team, you at least owe her a chance to make a tryout._

_And I believe it is in your best interest to grant her this request._

_Best regards,_

_Twilight Sparkle, faithful student of Princess Celestia._

Folding the note together, Dash shook her head. "What's gotten into that mare's head?"

As she put the note back in her gown, Spitfire smirked. "What did you do to this poor mare, Rainbow? Promise to show her the world?"

"N-no... we're... we're just friends… that's all"

Leaning back, Spitfire stared at Dash. "Look, I'm certain that Princess Celestia would not appreciate her student trying to use her influence like th-"

Dash rose up waving her hooves towards Spitfire."No! No need to tell Celestia about this, I'll ta-"

"Sit down!" Leaning forward, she hissed. "I _don't_ like being threatened, especially by a so called _protégée_ that thinks being a student of the crown gives her the right to do whatever she pleases."

Filling up the glasses on the table, she indicated for Dash to take a drink, before her mouth tugged back to a devious grin. "However... I find it amusing, Twilight is known for being rather humble and for her to try to use her influence like this is unheard of. Now... we do have an interesting situation on our hooves, don't we?"

Dash stared at the mare that sat in front of her, feeling her body pulse with every second that went by. She saw images of her dream shattering in front of her, her only chance to become a Wonderbolt slowly fading away. Time seemed indifferent as she sat there, staring emptily through the room.

Letting go of a chuckle, Spitfire placed her hoof down on the table and grinned. "I don't see why not, I'll let you have a tryout next week."

Dash snapped her head back towards Spitfire and blurted out. "Really?!"

Her brows furrowed as she bored her orange eyes into Dash. "Yes, but keep this in mind, I'm doing this for my own amusement."

Dash readjusted herself on the chair, leaning onto the table as she cocked her brows up. "Thank you... I guess?"

Letting go of a rattling laugh, Spitfire waved Dash away. "No need to thank me, there is a certain stallion in my team who has had his eyes on you ever since you saved a couple of Wonderbolts in the competition. I imagine that he will be _quite_ dumbfounded once I tell him that you will come around next week. Now go and have fun, if you actually make it in the tryouts, you will rarely have time for such things."

As she moved away, she took a deep breath. She wanted to let out a scream of joy, she had a shot, a possibility to get into the Wonderbolts. Before the air escaped her lungs, she felt a knot tying itself in her chest followed by thoughts weighing heavily in her mind. _Why would Twilight risk so much in an attempt to get me into the Bolts?_

She shook her head while a grin manifested itself upon her lips. Rising up on her hind legs, she took a deep breath before she bellowed from the top of her lungs. "Yes! Gonna have a tryout for the Wonderbolts!"

She flew up, circling around one of the columns before taking a loop, crashing down on all four legs in a mirage of rainbows. "Aaaaw yeah!"

Trotting around in circles, smiling, she stopped as she opened her eyes. The murmuring of the room had stopped, a shade of red sprung to her face as she felt every set of eyes in the room resting on her figure. Bowing her head as she hastily moved away, she squeaked. "S-sorry."

Sliding across the floor she took in the details of the room while she felt her heart racing in her chest. The support columns towered over her, arching up near the roof. Between the columns the cherry red carpet continued, stretching further into the castle. Along the wall hung banners in the same fashion as the ballroom, except for behind the meeting table.

Curiosity getting the best of her, she walked slowly towards the banner. The border was light blue with purple details adorned in the fabric. Luna stood upon the throne next to her sister, both with a glowing halo around them. Their eyes did not stare out towards the room as they did in the other banners, instead their sight was focused on a small violet mare between them, crowned with a tiara. _Is that... Twilight?_

Dash stood mesmerized by the huge banner, her eyes locked onto the violet figure in it. _ It can't be... I need to talk to Twilight._ Slowly backing away she turned, almost crashing into a stallion that approached her.

He froze as she turned to face him, his lips quivered as he tried to speak. "R-rainbow! I-I heard you talked to Spitfire."

Letting go of a gasp, Dash' jaw opened, stuttering. "S-Soarin'!"

He adjusted the goggles that rested on his forehead while shifting uncomfortably in his officer suit. "L-look, I-I know Spitfire can be a bit harsh, b-but I can talk to her if you want!"

Dash stood frozen, with eyes staring emptily at the stallion in front her. Why would Soarin' himself offer to talk to Spitfire? She stroked her hoof over the brooch that hung from her braided mane. Could he be the one who sent it? Or did he just want the Sonic Rainboom on the team? She blinked, trying to draw her eyes away from Soarin'.

His bright green eyes shifted around, landing shortly on Dash' figure before he looked away. None of them uttered a word; Soarin' scraped his hoof on the floor, adjusting the black tie that hung from his neck. "N-nevermind, I-I'll go away now."

Snapping out of her trance, Dash squeaked. "No, no need for that, I just got a little surprised, that's all."

Soarin' looked next to her with a careful smile. "Really? You want me to talk to Spitfire? I have no problem doing that, she'll listen to me!"

Shaking her head, she smiled. "No need, I got a tryout next week."

His face tugged back into a grin. "Really?!"

Dash cocked her brow up. "Why are you so happy?"

The smile that covered his face drained away as a shade of red sprung forth. "N-no reason!"

Letting go of a chuckle, Dash grinned. "Why are _you_ blushing? You're the celebrity! I'm the one who should ramble."

His face turned full red as he rambled. "I, you, meet, garden... will you?" He swallowed and took a deep breath. "Willyoumeetmeinthegardeninan hour?!"

Blinking at the sight in front of her, she slowly replied. "Yes?"

Soarin' bowed before turning around, galloping away. "Thankyouseeyouthere!"

Dash watched as he crashed into a column on his way out, before disappearing through the gate. _Could the stallion Spitfire was talking about be Soarin'?_ She shrugged as she let go of a squeal. "Who cares? I got a tryout for the Wonderbolts!"

She jumped down from the plateau, grinning from ear to ear. "I gotta tell everypony!"

Galloping away, she headed to the throne room. "Fluttershy will be so happy for me! AJ will as well! I bet Pinkie will throw me a party!" She chuckled. "And Rarity will prolly make me a dress." She stopped as she passed through the hall. "And Twilight... will..." She sighed. "That's right, I need to talk to Twilight..."

Dash felt a warm soothing presence in her mind, gently culling her as it spoke from inside her. _How are you my dear Rainbow Dash?_

She froze as the voice echoed inside her, she dared to only whisper. "H-hello?"

Her body pulsated as the voice echoed with a controlled laugh. _Do not worry Rainbow Dash, speaking within the mind is only one of the few things that alicorns are capable off. Take a look to the right and you will see whom you are speaking with._

Her eyes wandered across the room, passing guards who stood still watching as the ball went its course, the light from torches gleamed off of pieces of their armor. The walls were naked revealing their grey crass surface; the throne was laid with soft red velvet fabric, embraced with a light wooden texture. Her eyes stopped as they landed on the pure white alicorn who smiled towards her. _Celestia!_

From afar Dash could see Celestia's body chuckle as it passed through her own. _Indeed, what is bothering you Rainbow Dash? I sense a lot of strong feelings inside of you, both of joy and worry._

Dash furrowed her forehead as she shouted inside her head. _I don't know, I should just feel happy. I got a tryout for the Wonderbolts! But I feel there's something wrong…_

_Is it Twilight?_

_I think so... she risked a lot sending that letter to Spitfire, just for me. And lately she has been acting all weird around me, I just can't make sense of it all. Wait... how did you know?_

_Close your eyes Rainbow Dash, I think I need to show you something._

She looked at Celestia with a weak smile before she slowly closed her eyes. As the world darkened around her, a veil of colors exploded inside of her. Dash tried to gasp for air, but her mouth refused to open. Her eyes were closed, yet she saw stars moving past her, colors weaving itself in waves around small flying creatures that flew in a hovering manner. One of the creatures stopped in front of her, turning to float through her very being, leaving with a echoing giggle.

A soothing embrace came to her mind as she frantically turned her head. _You have my apologies Rainbow Dash, I should have warned you, a pony's first experience in this place can be quite startling._

Dash looked around in an attempt to identify the origins of the presence that soothed her. A huge flash of light emerged from one of the spots of eternal blackness in front of her. As the light grew in size, the contours of an alicorn started to transfuse. With a bright flash, only the creature stood left.

Standing frozen in awe, she took in the details of what stood in front of her. The alicorn was featureless, only the contours told her that it was a pony like creature standing before her. The wings fanned out, weaving itself between the creatures and planets that floated in this world, stretching through to eternity. Shaking its neck, it caused its mane to drape down, flowing from her like a river into a never ending fluster of small pure white orbs hovering to nothingness. The horn stood in normal length but distorted, moving in waves like a pulse of the being.

The beauty of what stood in front of her was unimaginable, her very thoughts stuttered at the sight. _C-Celestia... you're beautiful._

Celestia bowed her head facing Dash, the white glow emitted from her being embraced Dash with a flickering warmth. _Why thank you Rainbow Dash, but is that any way to greet one's princess?_ A chuckle echoed through the vast emptiness of what surrounded them. _Besides Rainbow Dash, you look quite stunning as well._

As she stretched her hooves out, a silent gasp rippled through the surrounding fabric. Her body emitted a light cyan glow, her mane lacked colors as it fell down to a never ending ocean of cyan orbs. In her chest pulsated a rainbow colored sphere; reacting to her emotions, sending colors in distorted waves through her body. _Woah!_

As Celestia's horn touched her body, the sphere in her chest responded by sending a wave of blue through to the edge of every limb, with a soothing rush following the color. _Rainbow Dash, this place is called The Mundus, everything in the universe and dimensions are connected in this plane. In this world your body becomes an entity of pure energy. Only the alicorns may enter this plane, but the Elements may follow through if an alicorn allows it, as they are connected together beyond that of the physical realm._

Celestia pointed her hoof at one of the strings flowing out from her chest, they separated and weaved itself along in different directions, each one having the colors of their respective element. One of them connected to the sphere in Dash' chest, weaving itself in the palette belonging to her mane. _These threads are what connects us, if they are severed, the Element belonging to the thread will die and join the other Elements in this realm._

Dash touched the string flowing from her chest as she turned her head towards Celestia. _Why am I here?_

Celestia motioned her head up, forcing the world around them to shift past. _This plane allows us alicorns to view events that have happened through the flow of time, we may even visit and re-live the lost and company of those we have outlived._

A rift opened in front of them sending distorted waves of light through, into The Mundus._You are here because I needed to show you this, Rainbow Dash._

Dash stretched her neck and peeked through, sending a gasp echoing out. _Twilight!_


	3. Through A Ghost

**Through A Ghost**

Celestia's magenta eyes moved from the light brown parchment she held in front of her as she heard the doors to her chamber open up. The sun cast colorful shadows through the tinted windows of the room, draping the floors and walls in a blanket of colors, a red carpet stretched itself from the throne through every room in the castle. Celestia smiled as she spotted a small violet mare standing in the doorway, waiting for approval to enter.

Putting down the parchment, she quickly nodded towards Twilight before she said. "What a pleasant surprise, come on in."

Dulled echoes of hooves hitting fabric was heard as Twilight made her way towards Celestia. Her eyes wandered over the columns as she passed them, before landing on the white alicorn. She let go of a sigh, before she sat herself down at the round table that was filled with documents.

Celestia's horn glowed as she gently moved the parchments away from the table, she nodded towards a servant that stood next to the throne. He jolted up and left for the kitchen. Turning to face Twilight, a frown manifested itself upon her being, letting go of a small sigh, she spoke. "I felt that something was wrong, and seeing you now, I know there is. What is on your mind my dear student?"

Twilight's eyes stared past Celestia, without focusing them, she said. "I don't know! I try to study, but my mind only look forward to the evenings I spend with Rainbow Dash. I look forward to them more and more."

"But isn't that a good thing? Spending time with your friend is something you should look forward to." Celestia said with a soft smile.

Twilight hastily ran her hoof through her mane and looked ruefully at Celestia. "It's the extent Princess, I just can't focus. I'm failing my studies because I can't stop thinking about Rainbow Dash… I-I think I'm falling in love with her, Princess Celestia."

Celestia looked at Twilight and said. "Is it only that you can't stop thinking about her, or is there more to it, Twilight?"

Letting go of a sigh, Twilight's eyes rested on Celestia's figure. "I made a list of what I admire in Rainbow and why I look forward to see her. She's loyal, kind, confident, trustworthy and I can go on, but most importantly… she's my friend."

A gentle chuckle escaped Celestia's lips as she said. "That sounds a lot like your brother."

A shade of red sprung to her face while she muttered. "I-I haven't thought about that really…"

Celestia smiled at Twilight as she said. "My dear Twilight Sparkle, I have known how you have felt towards Rainbow Dash for a long time."

Twilight blinked at her princess. "How could you have known? I haven't told anypony about this before."

A gentle laugh escaped her lips as Celestia placed her hoof over her heart. "I can feel what the Elements feel, their inner fears, and their pride. "

Biting her lip, Twilight's eyes darted through the room before they landed on Celestia. "Then… then tell me what I should do, does Rainbow feel the same?" She squeaked.

Celestia shook her head, "It is not my place to interfere with such things. I am your teacher when it comes to your studies, Twilight, I can not guide you in matters of the heart."

"Bu-"

Raising her hoof, she looked at Twilight. "No buts; you must figure this out on your own my dear student." Celestia nodded at the servant arriving with some tea, he placed a delicate set of tea equipment on the table before he poured a tea that basked the room in a lush smell; he bowed slightly before he headed to his spot next to the throne. Taking a sip, Celestia smiled at Twilight. "I will tell you this, matters of the heart is something you must let happen, for better or worse. If you try to suppress it, it will eat you from the inside."

Twilight swallowed before she bowed. "You know best, Celestia."

Rainbow tapped her forehead repeatedly with her hoof. _How could I be so dense? It was so obvious!_

Celestia's form bowed down to Dash, letting a soothing white mist flow from her being. _What Twilight feels towards you is not that uncommon._

Dash turned, facing the white form that stood next to her. _It's not? I mean, I know some ponies are attracted to mares, and some to stallions. But what do you mean 'not uncommon'?_

Celestia's wings flared out, releasing a wave of energy into the black veil that surrounded them. _The bonds of the Elements goes further than through me, often, they share a bond between themselves they do not realize._

Turning her head down, she stared at the orb in her chest, it flickered with all of her manes palette. They swirled around with a small ball of violet hue in the center. _But…_ The violet ball burst, sending a wave of its color through her being, followed by her own colors, reaching to the very tip of her hooves, before retracting back to her chest. _I don't know if I can return those feelings…_

Dash' eyes rested on Twilight's figure within the rift; her body emblazoned in a violet spike as she saw a tear trickle down from her friend's cheek. Stretching out her hoof, she watched as Twilight's colors washed around her, her mind echoed out. _I… really don't know…_

Celestia released a small pulse of energy from her horn, embracing Rainbow's being in a soothing white mist._Rainbow Dash I think it is time you must meet a special somepony._

Dash floated next to Celestia while they moved away from the rift, each step the alicorn took released a wave of energy, bursting downwards, weaving itself in the fabric. Each hoofstep lingered with a flickering light, before fading into tiny specs of dust. She watched as a crude blue planet moved past them, white streaks lined themselves over the surface. She turned her head as a loud rumble echoed over them, letting go of a quick _whoa!_ A huge grey beast swam in the air, its white fins reached out to the sides seemingly endless. In its featureless face a slit opened, revealing a mouth riddled with teeth like combs. As the tail swung up and down, it moved lesser planets in its wake. Huge yellow orbs moved around in their sockets as the beast moved forward, its eyes landed on the two beings that walked under it. Dash watched as the creature leaned down scooping up white dust left in the trail behind them, it let go of a satisfied groan as the dust disappeared before it slowly swam away.

Celestia chuckled as she turned to face Dash, she nodded slowly._ That's a Tempest Whale, it feeds off pure energy, so it coming here trying to feed of some of the energy I released is only natural._

Dash' jaw hung open while she looked at the back of the beast while it swam away. _B-but it's so big… I bet it could swallow whole planets if it wanted to._

A small red orb floated mid air, bobbing as if on a watery surface. Small specks of the energy dust around them gathered at the tip of Celestia's horn, merging into a ball of pure energy. The princess turned towards Dash, _This may feel a little uncomfortable, Rainbow Dash._

Dash quickly nodded as she watched the small white ball leave Celestia's horn, slowly floating towards the red object. A violet beaming circle emitted as the orbs crashed together, contracting back and blending together, creating a single entity of violet hue. Her inner eyes were wide with amazement as she watched it pulsate. Her mind being numb from the sight, she could only think. _Whoa!_

The violet orb pulsated faster, releasing small hums out in the air. Small cracks slowly began to emerge on the surface of it. Slithering out of the cracks, a glowing white mist spread itself around the two ponies, slowly contracting itself around them, enveloping every part of their being. Dash felt her body stretch to unimaginable positions, before the mist pulled her down into the orb.

She tried to scream, but the air wouldn't escape her lungs. Her eyes watched as a world passed by her in speed she only had dreamed of, the colors passing by with a blur. The haze before her eyes stopped instantly, and she felt soft grass under her hooves. She snarled, feeling her stomach in turmoil, it threatening to rid her of her dinner. Shaking her head, she looked around. Trees circled a massive square, in the middle of which stood a fountain. The round shape of it was engraved with ponies wearing the Elements around their neck. The top layer laid bare, except for a small engraving of Dash wearing her Element. The field of grass stretched as far as her eyes could see, the green field weaving as a gust played on its surface. A house stood to her left; the style was old, garnering a dark color in its wooden texture. The corners and windows were adorned with small figurines of Celestia and Luna. Ponies walked back and forth on the square, not even flinching towards the white pegasus that appeared out of nowhere.

Dash looked at her hooves as her being slowly faded, shifting over to her normal blue body. The orb in her chest slowly diminished in form and reached out to fill her mane with her natural colors. She moved a strand of hair from her eyes as she looked at Celestia's body materializing in front of her, the solid form starting to grow from her hooves, and slowly working its way up. As the white being evaporated into the air, Celestia stood left and smiled towards Rainbow Dash.

"Ah! There yeh are, Lass."

Turning her head, Dash spotted a male unicorn approaching them. His coat was a light yellow color, with a mane of deep icy blue. His eyes were green like emeralds; as he drew closer, Dash noticed his cutie-mark being that of a wand dancing around a piece of paper. As he stood but a couple of hooflengths before them, he stopped and revealed a crooked smile. A scar ran deep from over his right eye and down over his lip.

He poked Dash in the shoulder before he grinned at her. "How's it lass? Found it to yer likin' yet?"

Dash pushed away the hoof as she raised a brow towards him. "Do I… know you?"

He stepped back and glared towards Celestia. "By yer own bloody ass, yeh haven't told the lass yet?"

Celestia shook her head and stared back at the unicorn in front of her. "No, I have not. She needs to figure it out on her own."

He snarled towards Celestia. "Don't come 'ere and blow some hockum muckus to me, this is tha fourth time she is 'ere. It is clear she don' want tah realize it."

Celestia bowed down and glared into his eyes. "Hold your tongue! You might be free in this realm, but I am still your princess!"

Dash lifted her hoof before speaking up. "Excuse me, the fourth time? I have never seen this place before."

He sighed towards Dash before turning to Celestia. "That's it! I'm showin' 'er."

Flaring her wings, Celestia stared at him. "No! The rules _must_ be followed!"

Flailing his hooves in Dash' direction, he shouted. "Tha rules can take a bloody hike! By yer sweaty plot! Can't yeh see that she's either denser than a wooden doorknob or something is holding 'er back! If not, she would'a realized it by now!"

Stomping her hoof down, Dash yelled towards him. "Hey! I'm not stupid! And can somepony tell me what's going on?!"

Celestia's eyes rested on Dash' figure, before she let go of a sigh and turned towards the unicorn. "Very well, before we upset her even more, you have my permission to show her. She must still realize this on her own."

A grin drew itself over his muzzle as he spoke. "Now wer' talkin', c'mer lass, I will show ye everythin'."

Cocking her brow up, Dash stared at him. "Hold on, just who are you? And why should I listen to you? Considering you called me stupid like a doorknob…"

Massaging his forehead with a hoof, he let go of a sigh. "Ah, I guess I can do this one more time…" Turning his head, he shouted. "Velvet Spring, c'mer Love."

A light green coated Pegasus turned her head as the unicorn's voice reached over the garden, she started to make her way towards them while a smile drew itself over her muzzle. Her yellow mane was braided down to her side, gently tied with a red ribbon at the end. As she reached them, she leaned over and nuzzled the unicorn's neck, before she turned to face Dash. Her eyelids slowly closed over her mint green eyes, before she let out a small giggle and bowed before Dash. Her voice was smooth as silk as words left her mouth. "Pleasure to meet you again, Rainbow. How long will you be staying this time?"

The unicorn bowed his head before he spoke towards Dash. "I am Magic Scribe, but aroun' 'ere it's just Scribe." He leaned over and softly placed his lips at Velvet's neck. "An' this 'ere, is my wife." He placed his hoof at Dash' shoulder and smiled. "I am tha first Element of Loyalty, an' my wife is tha first Element of Kindness. And this 'ere," He circled his hoof around the area surrounding them. "Is what we call tha sanctuary, it's a haven for tha Elements after they 'ave fulfilled their duty."

Scribe gently took a hold of Dash' shoulders and led her towards a small light brown set of table and chairs with a wooden texture. He sat himself down and raised his hoof, indicating for Dash to sit down over him. Standing next to them, Velvet Spring stared at Scribe with her brows arched down as she said. "You're doing one of your memory tricks again, Dear? I will go and get some lemonade and cookies for us." With a spring in her step, Velvet turned and headed towards the big house that stood behind them.

Scribe stared at velvet as she left them, a grin drew itself over his face before he turned to Dash and said. "Alright Lass, yeh got any questions fer me before we start?"

Dash shook her head and glared at Scribe. "Let's just get it over with, whatever it is you're going to show me." She said quickly as a bothered expression grew on her face.

Placing his hooves over hers, Scribe's horn started to glow with an orange hue. His eyes shot out a mesmerizing light, and his voice echoed as he spoke to Dash. "Be warned Lass, this 'ere experience will not be all that enjoyable. Velvet! C'mere and hold the lass tight if yeh will, Love!"

Her muscles tightened as she began to rise up from her chair, only to be forced down again by Velvet's hooves on her shoulders. Velvet leaned forward and softly whispered into her ear. "I'm sorry, but it must be done. Please forgive me when you wake up."

Dash felt her heart beat faster as she lost her sense of feeling in her hooves, her vision started to blur, she saw only an orange glow, along with Scribe's glowing eyes staring right at her. Panic filled her mind, she tossed her body back and forth, trying to break out of Velvet's grip. Her throat tightened, and pressure built up in her eyes, spikes of pain shot down her spine, forcing her wings to flare out. Tears flowed as she felt ribs crack, she croaked towards Scribe. "Stop! Please… it hurts… it hurts!"

Clenching his teeth together he hissed. "I know damn well it does! I'm experiencin' what yeh do, now sit still!"

She opened her mouth, gasping for air with short, forced breaths. Her body started to shake as her neck snapped back, sending a spike of pain up her head. Forcing her mouth together Dash let out a desperate cry. "No more… please, it hurts so much."

Velvet whispered with a broken voice to her. "It'll be over soon, just a little longer."

A beam shot out of Scribe's horn hitting Dash in the forehead. She felt stillness wash over her, the feeling of her body being lost in a water of warmth. Her lungs filled with air as she felt magical tingling all over her body. Her vision faded into nothing, she felt her hooves slip down, every muscle in her body stopped functioning. Consciously fading away she heard Scribe cry to Velvet. "I 'ope that's enough, I can't do anymore of this."

Dash stood at the end of the pavilion, staring down into the garden. The lush forest embraced the edges, stretching over just enough to tingle at the sides of any pony that strafed too close to the walls. Making her way downwards she smiled as she spotted Fluttershy down in the garden surrounded by birds of all shapes and sizes, the gathering of birds chimed their song through the night. Dash stopped and took a deep breath, she would always do this when Fluttershy practiced with her birds. The gentle song from the birds was so relaxing to listen to, not that anypony knew she did that. She always kept her little quirks to herself, it made her feel comfortable around her friends.

Focusing her eyes down at the end of the pavilion, she let go of a nervous chuckle. Arriving this late for her appointment, it was a good possibility that he had left, but it wasn't everyday a Wonderbolt asked to see her for a private chat, she needed this time to gather her thoughts. Her heart pumped faster as she saw the shadow of a stallion moving back and forth at the end, his form stretched over the rough stone surface of the pavilion under the bright moonlight. Flaring her wings, she let go of a small squeal; maybe he would really do it? Maybe he would talk to Spitfire about letting her into the Wonderbolts?

Drawing closer to him, she heard faint thuds as she saw his hoof moving back and forth to his forehead. Hearing low angry mutters, her ears perked up. "How could I be so stupid? Making a fool out of myself like that? No wonder she didn't show up! Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Soarin' made his way towards one of the benches near the edge, as he sat down small glimmers shone as they fell from his cheek. "I'm a failure, I probably won't get the chance to see her again." He lifted his hooves causing loud thuds to echo out once more.

Her hooves clinked towards the stones as she approached Soarin', while her eyes rested on the stallion that huddled on a bench before her, she uttered. "H-hey…"

His hooves quickly swiped over his eyes before he jumped up, fumbling over his suit he pulled the jacket down and faced Dash and yelled. "You came! I'm so happy!" Furrowing his brows he leaned backwards onto the edge of the bench. "I mean… of course you came." As the jacket let go of its grip of the edge, he fell backwards with a loud thud, exclaiming a short. "Whoa!"

A smile drew itself over her face as she watched Soarin' trying to fumble himself up on his legs, her smile faded as she saw the frustration build up in his face. Biting her lip, she hesitantly made her way to him. Stretching out a hoof, she spoke to him with a brow cocked up. "What's going on Soarin'?"

Accepting the offered hoof, he pulled himself up and a sigh escaped his lips. "Well… you see…" He halted his sentence as a shade of red sprung to his face. "I… well… I, you know… kind of like you a lot."

A chuckle escaped her lips, Dash grinned at him. "Does that mean you're willing to get me into the Wonderbolts? I mean, if you like me, that must mean you think I'm awesome as well."

Soarin's ears flopped back and whatever blue he had left in his face succumbed to an increased shade of red. His emerald eyes met Dash's cerise which glistened with a brilliant luster. A wavered smile drew itself on his face as he stuttered. "N-not like that, I mean… I would help you get into the Wonderbolts any day, but what I mean is… I_like_ you."

Dash cocked her brow up and stared at him. "Yeah, you alrea-" Her eyes shot up as she halted her sentence, leaving her mouth wide open, she exclaimed. " You mean…?"

Scratching the back of his head, Soarin' slowly nodded. "Yeah, and… well… would you like to go out for dinner sometime?"

Letting go of a short, "Bhuuh." Dash froze. Not in her wildest dreams had she imagined being asked out on a date by a Wonderbolt, and yet, here one of the most famous of them all stood in front of her with a hopeful smile. How awesome wouldn't it be to date a Wonderbolt, not that she cared about that sort of thing, but if she was going on a date, who better than a Bolt? Snapping out of her trance she flared her wings and gave him a sheepish grin. "I-I guess."

His face tugged back into a grin and his wings shot out while he tip-hoofed in place. "Really?!" He squeaked. Taking a few loops he landed in front of Dash and tightened his suit, before clearing his throat to face her with a faint shade of red growing in his cheeks. "I mean… that's cool."

Turning his head, he flopped his ears back, biting his lip, he turned to face Dash. "Oh boy… that's Spitfire yelling, she sounds mad, I better head over there." His eyes shifted away from her and landed on her braid. "I'm really glad you liked the ribbon I sent you" He said with a smile. Turning around he flared his wings and took off in a swift motion. He turned around mid air and smiled at her. "Well… I'll contact you?"

Giving him a short nod, she watched as he flew away. Her eyes stared emptily at the spot he was at a second ago, a small smile drew itself over her muzzle as she slowly muttered to herself. "Well… I guess this is interesting." A gust of wind cast itself over the pavilion, tufting her mane from side to side. Her braid snapped up in the wind, sending the red ribbon flying as her braid loosened and weaved itself in the air. With a flare of her wings, she took off in a sweeping motion, catching the ribbon before it disappeared. Flapping her wings lazily, she hovered still as she looked at the small accessory. _Doesn't hurt giving it a shot, does it?_

She tightened the ribbon around her mane and took off towards the gate leading to the dining hall. Landing with a soft thud, she made her way in. Twilight will be so happy for me. Her eyes rolled over the room; spotting Twilight she jumped into a trot and scurried past a couple that was dancing to Octavia's music. Drawing closer she waved towards Twilight while bellowing towards her. "Twilight! You will never guess what just happened!"

A smile formed on Twilight's lip as she spotted Rainbow approaching her. She lifted her hooves up, welcoming her friend in a warm embrace and said. "Oh Rainbow, I'm so happy for you!"

Holding her out on a hooves length Dash stared at Twilight, before she furrowed her brows and said. "Yeah, about that, you shouldn't have done that. What if she had gone to Celestia with that letter?"

Twilight shook her head and smiled at her. "I just wanted to help, and I would take that problem with Celestia later, I'm sure she would understand my reasoning."

Letting go of a chuckle she slapped her hoof over Twilight's back and grinned at her. "Whats done is done, thank you for what it's worth. But can you believe it? I'm having a personal tryout for the Wonderbolts! This is so awesome!" Taking a step back, Dash ruffled her mane and looked at Twilight with a faint shade of red springing to her face. "And… well something else happened as well. You know Soarin'?"

Twilight looked at Dash as she said. "Yes, what about him?"

Letting go of an erratic chuckle, she said. "Well… he kinda asked me out on a date." Holding up her mane, she held her ribbon in front of Twilights muzzle. "He's the one who sent me this."

Twilight's ear flopped back and her eyes bored a hole in the floor, her voice weighted heavy with tension as she said. "And...?"

Dash smiled as she said. "I said yes, he seems like a decent enough guy, and he's a Wonderbolt! I saw no reason to turn him dow-" She halted her sentence as she saw a small watery pearl fall from Twilight's cheek. "Twilight?" She stretched out her hoof and lifted Twilight's head, staring into her violet eyes, watching as tears welled up in them, she slowly said. "What's wrong?"

Twilight jerked her head away from Dash and turned away from her. "Nothing!" She yelled before she left the room in a fast gallop.

Dash watched the back of her best friend leave the room, leaving her alone. Alone, wondering if she had said something wrong, or even done something to hurt her. She thought Twilight would be happy for her, wasn't that what sisters and best friends was supposed to do? Support each other? Her thoughts wandered as she stared at the door Twilight had left through. All she could do while her mind processed what just happened was to squeak out. "Twilight...?"


	4. Lunafly

**Lunafly**

"Rarity, is this really necessary?" Dash glared at her reflection in the huge wall mirror. She frowned at herself while her eyes wandered over her figure. Her mane was braided down on her side with the red ribbon from Soarin' knotted at the end; it swung slowly from side to side as Rarity tightened the blouse she had designed for Dash. She gasped for air as she felt her dress clench around her stomach, her face changing color as she croaked, "Rarity! Too tight!"

Rarity turned her light blue eyes at Dash and smiled, her muzzle holding a quantity of small needles. "Of course it is necessary! You're going on a date, darling, and with a celebrity of all ponies! You must look fabulous." A light blue hue emitted from her horn and embraced one of the needles, floating it next to the fabric. "Now… stand still." The needle gently threaded itself through the material and weaved a curled pattern in the streaks of the dress.

Letting go of a sigh, she watched as Rarity flew over every detail of the gown. Making sure the embroidery was just perfect, lightly overlaying the blue of the dress with all the colours in Dash's mane. Dash flinched as a strain of Rarity's mane tickled her nose while she adjusted the white cloud details on the chest.

She turned and stared at her reflection once more, looking at her muzzle; it should have been drawing a smile, but no matter how much she wanted it, she couldn't. Something was missing; her friend was missing. She had imagined that it would be Twilight standing next to her on such a day, not Rarity. Not that Dash had anything against her, but on subjects like this the fashionista had a tendency to go a little overboard. But Twilight hadn't talked to her in weeks, not since the Gala, not since she stormed out and left her alone. And because of that Dash was left in the mercy of Rarity and her fashion.

Rarity raised her head, frowning as she looked at Dash. "Rainbow Dash, darling... what's wrong? You're going on a date; you should be happy!"

Dash turned her eyes towards Rarity and sighed. "I know… it's just…" She swallowed, there was no nice way to tell anypony that she'd rather be together with somepony else at that moment. She took a deep breath before she said, "Rarity?"

A smile drew itself over Rarity's muzzle. "Yes?"

She held her breath as Rarity's blue gems twinkled towards her, looking at her with anticipation and joy: joy for being able to help her get ready for her date. She felt a lump grow in her chest. There was no way she could ask without hurting Rarity's feelings. Dash shook her head. "No, it's nothing."

Rarity mimicked the action, letting out a sharp, "Tsk!" before heading over to a table that stood in the middle of the room. She moved through a few rolls of fabric scattered on the ground. Light shone through the chandelier that hung in the roof over them, casting the room in a bright hue which adorned itself with small colorful crystals.

Dash watched as Rarity shifted her way through the endless sea of tailoring supplies. Her eyes moved over the room, the walls were coated in a light white color, with huge windows letting the sun in every few meters apart. Dash had wondered how her friend had managed to afford such a place in Canterlot. The oval room they stood in was littered with fabric, needles, ponnequins and furniture with elegant details in dark wood. This place must be really expensive, would Rarity…? She shook her head. No way would Rarity do that! But how did she afford this place anyway? Dash turned her head as she felt Rarity grabbing hold of her gown, adding in the last cloud details, her cutie mark adorning the centre of each.

Rarity took a step back, and stared at Dash with her brows furrowed and a lower lip pursed out, before she clapped her hooves together and proclaimed. "You look stunning! And this dress! If I dare say so, it might be my best work!"

A tint of red emerged in Dash' cheeks and her lips tugged back to a short, shallow smile. "Thank you." She met her magenta eyes in the mirror and felt her smile fade. She had to ask Rarity; there was no way around it. "Eem…" She cringed as she heard the break in the voice leaving her lips.

Adjusting her glasses, Rarity looked towards Dash as her lips drew down. "What's wrong Rainbow? Don't you like it?"

Dash snapped her head towards Rarity with her eyes shot up, realizing how bad that came out. "No! I love it!" Placing her hoof over her eyes, she shook her head. "It's just…"

Rarity moved over to one of the ponnequins, gently slipping the band off her neck and transferring it to the doll's. She turned with a smile to Dash and said, "I'm glad you like the dress. But Rainbow, you do know you can tell me anything, right?"

Dash swallowed, her eyes boring a hole in the ground before her. Hesitantly, she felt the words slip out from her lips. "Rarity… did I do something wrong?"

"Whatever do you mean?" Rarity said, as her brows furrowed towards Dash.

Flopping her ears back, Dash said, "It's just that… Twilight hasn't talked to me in weeks…" She halted her sentence as she felt a lump growing in her throat. She continued, struggling to keep the break in her voice in check, "And I don't know why." Feeling her body tense up, she rested her eyes at Rarity's figure.

"Ooh…" Rarity muttered before turning away from Dash. She embraced a roll of fabric with her aura and gently placed it in a shelf before she said. "Twilight is a smart pony, Rainbow. I'm sure whatever reason she had for storming out like that is a good one."

"I know that!" A sigh escaped Dash's lips. She turned her eyes out one of the windows. Ponies walked by the store, smiling and laughing without a worry in mind. Many of them wore fine garments, and others overalls for work. A pony stood at the top of a ladder, smiling as he cleaned windows over the buzz of the city. Her eyes followed him as he climbed down and moved the ladder to the next window. She turned to the floor again and swallowed. "It's just how it happened. Everything seemed fine until I told her I was going on this date."

"Then there must be something you're missing, sweetie," Rarity offered after a short time.

"I guess… but what? It's not like I have clues to go after!" Dash snapped. A jab pulsed through her stomach, as she saw her friend's lower lip quiver. Taking a deep breath, Dash said softly, "Look, Rarity, I'm just a little on edge because of everything. I know you're just trying to help... it's just..."

Rarity's lips tugged back into a smile. "It's quite alright; I know how it is." She lifted her hoof and softly tapped her lower jaw. "You got to remember that Twilight didn't have many friends before she moved to Ponyville, and we are all getting into relationships, giving us less time together. I'm sure she's just afraid of losing you and us. You and Twilight were the last of us that didn't have a special somepony. Now that you are going on this date, I'm sure she was struck by fear of that she might lose the thing that made you so close lately." Rarity nodded slowly with a satisfied smile.

"Twilight's way smarter than that," Dash answered with a chuckle.

Rarity grabbed a piece of fabric and started to sew in golden linings in the clouds. "You do have to remember that you have always been good with other ponies, while Twilight has... not. It has nothing to do with being smart; it is about experience."

That can't be the only reason, Dash thought as her eyes wandered towards one of the windows. She slowly made her way over, ignoring Rarity's protests when a pin dropped with a tiny clink to the floor. Pegasi flew over the town's gentle buzz, clearing clouds that would threaten to spoil the day. Dash sighed, staring at the pegasi with jealousy. What wouldn't she give to be one of them now? Free of all difficult thoughts, free of all this uncertainty. She ran a hoof through her mane, imagining the wind blowing through it. Taking loops around the clouds, spinning them around until she eventually found the perfect one to lie down on, and closing her eyes while feeling the sun gently kiss her cheeks. Slowly drifting away in a lazy pace on the currents, just sleeping, nothing more than her and the dreams.

Feeling a light tap on her shoulder, she turned to see Rarity indicating for her to follow. Dash threw a quick glance back at the sky before walking after Rarity. A muffled sound bounced off the walls from the carpet in the reception as they walked. Dash looked around. The reception desk was adorned with delicate details in its light wooden texture. A soft grey color with white stripes covered the walls, joining up with the black and white tiles on the floor. Close to the windows, ponnequins stood side by side, holding up dresses Rarity had designed.

A rack with rolls of fabric leaned against one of the walls; the wall looked like a trapped rainbow with all the different colors stacked against it. Dash made her way over and looked closely at one of them. The golden color caught her attention. She ran her hoof over it, the fabric rippling as if it were a puddle she had dipped the hoof into; she had seen this before in Rarity's shop in Ponyville. Dash smiled for herself, thinking back to the chaos that occurred when Sweetie Belle had cut the golden cloth into pieces to make the Cutie Mark Crusader cloaks. Rarity had been furious since it had been so difficult and expensive to get a hold of. She looked next to the rack; the golden tubes stood there in abundance as if it were a simple cloth.

Dash made her way over to the door, where Rarity waited with a big smile drawn upon her face. "Rarity... how can you afford all this?" she asked, as her eyes wandered over the store.

One side of her muzzle tugged back while she looked at Dash. "A lady never reveals her secrets."

"Aaaw, come on Rarity, you can at least tell me something, did you find a pot of gold? Did you get it from Hoity Toity as a gift for something?" Dash said, a grin manifesting upon her face.

Rarity glared at Dash while one of her eyes twitched, her jaw opened slowly. "How dare you suggest that I would do such a thing? To even think that I would do something so uncouth!"

The Pegasus took a few steps back while raising her hooves up in front as a defensive wall. "Whoa, Rarity! I didn't mean it like that. I was joking. I'm just curious, and you know… rumors start to fly when you're being all secretive."

A vein pulsated in Rarity's forehead, her eyes pierced through Dash before she took a heavy breath and said, "Very well… if you must know, Hoity Toity and I have been dating for a while, and he allows me to use this studio as much as I want."

"That's great!" Dash replied. "But why keep it a secret, Rarity?" As the words slipped from her lips, she felt a light tug in her stomach, as if she knew the answer before it came.

"He wished for our relationship to seem professional to outsiders. He was afraid it would slander his reputation if we dated and happened to break up shortly after." Rarity spun around before turning to face Dash with glimmer in her eyes. "And now, he says he will make it official; we have been dating for eight months now." She leaped up, wrapping her hooves around Dash' neck and squealing. "I have found my knight! I just know it!" She blushed while taking a few steps back, slowly bringing her hoof up to her mouth. "I beg your pardon, Rainbow Dash. That was very unladylike of me."

Gently massaging her neck, Dash smiled. "It's okay, Rarity. We all can get carried away sometimes. I'm just glad you're happy."

Rarity smiled. "I have a little surprise for you as well. Seeing as this is your first proper date, I decided to give you something extra today." She opened the door and pushed Dash outside. "Here, take a look!"

A carriage stood outside waiting for her; the driver gently took his hat off and bowed towards Dash. Her eyes grew big as she looked at the freight. The black surface gleamed in the midday sun. Small golden lanterns hung from the curved corners of the roof, which was encircled by a metal fence at the top. The wheels stood in contrast with the black wagon; the light wooden material was encircled by a thin metal plate nailed tightly in place. The front of it had a cherry red cushion with a black fence around, and a small steel pedal for controlling the brakes.

The driver jumped down and maneuvered himself in front of the door. He had a short black tie that hung over over the white triangle of his shirt, the rest was a black suit with golden buttons on the chest and hooves. His eyes were green like emeralds, with a scar running down the right eye to his lip. He placed the hat back over his icy blue mane and stepped on a pedal with his hoof, causing a metal plate to shoot out from under the carriage. He grinned towards Dash and said as he opened the door with a light yellow hoof, "I'm yers fur the day, lass."

Dash turned towards Rarity with a perplexed expression. "The day? Rarity… it's really too much."

The unicorn shook her head before pushing Dash onto the carriage. "Sweetie! It's your day! Now go and have fun; do not think any of this!"

"Bu-"

"I won't hear anything of it!" Rarity proclaimed while pushing Dash forward.

Stumbling into the carriage, Dash sighed before she heard the door shut behind her. She looked out the window and waved hesitantly to Rarity who beamed towards her. A sharp pull signaled that the carriage was starting to move. Quickly, she sat herself down in the corner. The inside was designed with a crimson red tapestry, and bright gold stripes in between. In the middle stood a table in faded black color, with small hinges to put glasses on. The cushions had a pearl white color with a velvet fabric. Dash leaned back resting her head on the wall behind her. Closing her eyes, she let her mind wander. I feel like I have seen the driver before, but where? she thought, before opening her eyes and watching as the town drifted past her.

A careful smile came to Dash's lips as she spotted a couple of ponies sitting on a bench, carefully nuzzling each other. Just like Fluttershy and Caramel did when she caught them in the woods. Caramel just shrugged it off with a smile, but Fluttershy almost died of embarrassment. He was her first proper coltfriend; when the topic came up at one of their get-togethers, Fluttershy had spun stories about old coltfriends. They first started innocent, sounding like nothing more than a schoolyard crush, but as time went by, her stories had become a little more extravagant, sounding like something that could be found in a romance novel. And right before she met Caramel, she was so lost in her made up stories that she almost ignored the colt completely. Dash laughed; Fluttershy had almost broken into tears as she told Dash she had never been with anypony before, and how sorry she was for lying about it. All she had wanted was to fit in...

It wasn't like that with Pinkie, though; she strutted around like a proud peacock once she got her pink hooves on Mac, almost as if she was rubbing it in Applejack's face. By the looks of it, though, the farmpony was more than okay with her brother finally finding somepony. But it raised the question to why they got together: Mac was the complete opposite of Pinkie, calm and subtle. Pinkie had explained in her own way that he made her relax; they rarely spoke much, and it was nice for a change for her to just be calm. Applejack was swelling with pride once she told Pinkie that she was the one who pushed Mac to ask her out. The poor stallion had been so nervous that he had lost his ability to speak, more so than usual when he told Applejack that he had a crush on her friend. The day after, Sweet Apple Acres had been in chaos after Pinkie Pie had woken them all up with a party especially for Applejack; Pinkie wanted to properly thank her for what she had done. Dash chuckled. Applejack had been pretty mad, as Pinkie almost gave Granny a heart attack from the sudden wakening. But, as always, Pinkie was hard to stay mad at for long.

Applejack was a chapter of her own; she proclaimed that she had not time for such things. But apparently she had something with a stallion named Lucky Clover. He was a somewhat careful stallion, always mindful of others. Dash put a hoof to her muzzle. What is it AJ had said? 'Ah might not 'ave time for a relationship, but, gosh darnit, Ah'm a mare an' a need some rough-housing now an' then.' Dash had seen them on some of the get-togethers, and, no matter how much Applejack insisted it wasn't something serious, the giggles and small nibbles on his ears, the long stares when he rose to get something for them, and the fact that Applejack took some days off to be with him said otherwise.

Rarity had found Hoity Toity. She seemed happy enough. Dash found it a bit strange that he wanted to keep it a secret for so long. She sighed; for some reason, Hoity made her ill at ease, and an uncomfortable feeling rose every time his name was mentioned, like there was something she was supposed to know. Dash sighed again. Rarity seemed so happy about it all, getting together with somepony, sharing everything with him. Just like a friend, but more.

Dash snorted. Who would bother with that? she thought while resting her head on the table. She bit her lip, But who am I to talk? I'm going down the same road. She banged her head down at the wooden surface, before looking out the window and up to the sky. Why must everything be so damn complicated? I'd much rather be up there flying right now, instead of going to this stupid date. She never would have believed that she would get into the romantic scene before Twilight. If anything, she was sure to be the last by a wide margin. Leaning back against the wall, Dash stared at the waved pattern of the roof. I wonder what she's doing now? She smiled, thinking back to their nights of reading together, how at ease everything felt when they were together. The two of them just sitting back on their pillows, giggling at jokes made at the author's expense. And that one night when they sat together under the blanket, sharing the same book, reading the same lines over and over again because they kept interrupting each other. Dash sighed. That night was special. She never felt at ease around anypony that close, but with Twilight it was something else. Maybe it was her smell, or even just her calm nature, that made it so easy to accept the closeness of it all...

Dash sighed. Again. I really need to talk to her, maybe tomorrow? Dash felt her eyelids getting heavy as she finished her thought, before she felt the world slip away from her, followed by darkness.

She was gently awoken by the motion of the carriage slowing down to a halt. Rubbing her hooves in her eyes, Dash struggled to adjust to the sudden bright wave that beamed in as the door was opened. We're here already?! The thought screamed at her; she jolted up and fumbled with her mane, making sure nothing flared out from it. Halting her motions, she thought, What are you doing Dash? Since when do you care how you look? Taking a deep breath, she stood up and stepped towards the opening.

Dash cocked her brow up as she saw the drivers head poke in through the opening, with a devious grin on his face. He chuckled towards her and said. "Yer a li'll nervous, aren't yeh, lass?"

She scoffed towards him, and pushed herself forward while she growled at him, "No, and not like it is any of your business if I were!" Dash glared at the unicorn in front of her. "Who are you anyway? I know I've seen you somewhere," she said while poking a hoof at his chest.

"Rainbow?"

The Pegasus turned, and her cheeks quickly bloomed bright red. Soarin' was standing only a few feet away. His hair was combed slightly to the side, glistening softly in the midday sun from the gel he had used to fix it. He had a dark blue jacket adorned with buttons, each shaped like the Wonderbolts logo. From his neck hung a black tie, loosely knotted, held in place by a golden clip to the white shirt. Behind him stood a throng of paparazzi, all scribbling notes and taking pictures of Rainbow.

He smiled curiously while looking at the driver. "What did he do?" he said and pointed.

"I don't know; he's just familiar and way too curious." She turned to finish her questions, but stopped at what she saw. In front of her stood a brown earth pony with a handlebar mustache, his yellow eyes shifting from her to Soarin'. Dash stared perplexed for a while before slowly saying, "I-I… sorry, I was sure you were a unicorn."

The earth pony nodded, before he said in a deep voice, "Whatever gets you going, Miss. I will be here waiting for you once you are done with your dinner." He bowed slightly and jumped up on the driver cushion of the carriage, leaned back and pulled out a paper.

"I hate to rush you, but I'm famished and the food here is great!"

Dash lingered a little before she turned and made her way over to Soarin', "Y-yeah."

The road in front of the restaurant was made of gray cobblestones, she stepped up on the heightened path and looked around. A red arch was stretched out from the entrance, on the front of it was the title 'Equestria Exquisite Dining', embroidered in delicate golden writing. Under it a crimson carpet was laid out, the velvet fabric tickling softly under her hooves. A strip of wood beneath the walls was painted in a black color, contrasting a little from the gray stones of the pavement. The white themselves walls bathed in the midday sun, gleaming brightly, enclosing the huge windows in a wall of moving light.

He flared his wings as she passed him and turned to the horde of paparazzi; he scowled at them and said. "Please, take a few pictures now, and leave us at peace for the rest of the night." He folded his wings and walked up to the door of the restaurant, he smiled at Dash while opening it. "After you,"

The smell of burnt wick and scented candles tingled in her nose as she entered. It was slowly followed by the delicious smell of the various meals being prepared in the kitchen. The interior of the restaurant had a delicate mix of black and white on the walls; intricate lamps were fastened to the walls together with paintings. From the roof white lamps formed as a circle hung with a good space between them. In the very middle of the room a brazier stood lit, burning strongly, draping the surrounding area in an orange glow that flickered as the fire danced. Throughout the restaurant were little tables of dark wood, each surrounded by white-cushioned chairs.

Dash stood in awe. She had never been in any sort of fancy restaurant, just sometimes flown past them. Thinking back, the fanciest place she had been to was Sugarcube Corner. The food there was great, but it could not compare on visual basis. Her imagination had sometimes given her the thought of being in such a place once she became a famous Wonderbolt, but this place was amazing beyond her wildest dreams. At the end of the rug stood a brown pony dressed in fine black linen cloth, his chest adorned with a white silk scarf tied in an elegant knot. In front of him stood a wooden pillar in light wood, flower petals engraved on the surface in a circling pattern. Dash shifted quickly in place as she felt his eyes rest on her figure, waiting for her to say something.

Soarin' walked up beside her and addressed the pony behind the pillar. "Soarin', table for two, and put all expenses on my tab here." He turned to her a gave a sheepish grin. "I'm very sorry about that outside there. The paparazzi can become a little intense sometimes. But for some reason the paparazzi in Phillydelphia are much more intense; they don't leave you no matter what. Here they at least respect my… our privacy to some degree."

She smiled at him; she was used to attention, and quite frankly relished in it. But this attention made her a little ill at ease. It was not for something awesome she had done, but for just agreeing to go on a date with a Wonderbolt. It would be different when she was the reason for the ruckus, when something was done to deserve it. "It's okay, I'm used to a little attention, and I have my own fanclub y'know." Dash felt her cheeks start to burn as the word slipped from her lips; a little fanclub probably didn't mean anything for a Wonderbolt.

The head-butler scribbled something quickly in the book that nestled on top of the pillar, before nodding and indicating them to follow him.

"Really?!" Soarin' looked at her with amazement while they were guided through the restaurant to a table in the far corner by a waiter. Soarin' leaped forward and intercepted the other stallion, pulled out one of the chairs and waiting for Dash to sit down before he pushed her forward. He quickly sat himself at the other side and looked at her. "That's amazing, tell me more!"

Dash cocked a brow up and stared at Soarin'. "You care about that?" she exclaimed.

He nodded rapidly, like a foal would when faced with something it really wanted as he answered. "Mhm! That's incredibly awesome, nopony knew who I was before I joined the bolts."

She almost let go of a giggle at the sight of this full grown stallion that looked at her like she was the newest wonder in Equestria. Dash was about to reply when a waiter came for their order. She quickly skimmed through the menu and ordered a plate of creamed hay along with a glass of cider. The waiter took the menus and folded them under his jacket, poured some water in two glasses that stood on the table, bowed slightly and left.

Dash grinned sheepishly at Soarin. "I had a period when I went out of my way to get attention for my actions; like saving ponies from danger and such. As I said, I relished in the attention, but my friends thought it went a bit overboard."

Soarin' looked at her with a quizzical stare. "Oh? How come?"

Her cheeks heated up, "I... kinda made sure there were ponies around to see me before I saved somepony... once..." the words passed her lips like poison to her very core.

Soarin' leaned on the table and looked at her. "So what did your friends do?"

Dash took a sip of water before she continued. "Well... you ever heard of Mare-do-Well?"

"Yeah, I remember reading something about her in a paper a while back," he said while nodding slightly.

"That was them." She smiled and stared without aim through the glass she held in her hooves. "They went out of their way and created a mare that could do anything; they made sure to switch around so they do magic, fly and even use the Pinkie-sense."

Soarin' stared at her as if somepony had slapped him with a questionmark. "Pinkie-sense?"

She smiled as her eyes saw the look of complete confusion on Soarin'. "Eh... it can't be explained, it just is. But the important part is that I got a lesson in humility."

A smile drew itself over his lips. "It sounds like your friends care a lot about you"

Dash nodded. "Yeah..." but it wasn't over her friends she felt bad, her guilt was lingering at a little filly. She may have come to her senses thanks to them, but the more she thought about it, the more it dawned upon her that she never had apologized to Scootaloo. After all, Scoots believed in her; she always did. The pegasus felt a void grow in her stomach every time she thought of it. Giving Scootaloo flying lessons was a good start, but she always felt she could do more. The thought of adopting her had crossed her mind, but always shaken off as uncertainty crawled over her questioning her maternal instincts, or just family instincts in general. "But..."

She snapped out of her thoughts, noticing the food being placed in front of them. She smiled quickly at the waiter and took a mouthful of cider. Her lips tugged into a grin as she felt the fruity brew tingle down her throat. She looked at the now half-empty glass and exclaimed, "Almost as good as Applejack's!"

Soarin' gobbled in a big piece of pie while he smiled towards her. "You were saying?"

She blinked at him, not saying a word for a few seconds before her train of thought caught up with what he was hinting at. "Oh! I was just thinking about Scootaloo, the founder of my fan-club. I never got around to apologizing to her..." Dash took a bite of food, and quickly said, "What's up with Spitfire? I never imagined her to be like that," before Soarin' could respond.

Soarin' swallowed a piece of pie with a mouthful of cider and answered hesitantly, "Yeah... Seeing as you will be meeting her again in a few days, it's only fair that you know a little I guess." He turned his eyes and stared at Dash with a face that could only be compared to stone. "I have known Spitfire since we were just small foals, and I can say that a lot of what you witnessed at the gala comes from her childhood." He swallowed and shifted his plate before he continued. "I have lost count on how many nights I have been sitting with her because she was afraid of being alone, or how many times she has awoken me because of her nightmares just to have a safe shoulder to cry on..." He shuddered. "She handles confrontation badly; it gives her a need to prove herself. All of this comes from..." He shook his head. "It's not for me to say... But promise to not think too badly of her, okay?"

Rainbow Dash nodded and they fell into a short silence. After a while, Soarin' shifted the conversation to familiar ground, seemingly wanting to forget the part with Spitfire. All the time while they ate, he sat and listened to her intently when she spoke; even if Dash was unladylike—as Rarity would call it—she didn't mind talking about herself, much like all other mares. The evening dragged on while they enjoyed each other's company; they talked mostly about flying techniques and how Dash always wanted to be a Wonderbolt.

The only interruption was when somepony occasionally came over to the table for an autograph. Rainbow was surprised of how kindly Soarin' took to all the commotion and interruptions. He never once turned away a fan, foal or grown-up. He allowed parents to take pictures of him and their foals without even thinking of it; he beamed up as they asked, almost as eager as them. She sat still and watched. The smile he gave of was something unique; it was genuine, she concluded to herself.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to have somepony to be more than a friend with? She thought, before quickly shaking it away. That is something Rarity would say, not me! Her eyes wandered over the room and back to Soarin'. But still…

Soarin' looked at his watch and said, "I'm terribly sorry little ones, but my friend and I must get going." He stood up, placed a hoof of bits on the table as tip to their waiter and made his way over to her and pulled out her chair.

It took Dash a few moments to grasp what occurred, and stood up with a slightly annoyed smile. She didn't know if he just wanted to be nice, or if it was a show he put up for those around, but it was not normal for her to have her chair pulled out for her.

As they made their way out of the restaurant more ponies crowded around, eager to get an autograph or a hoofshake from Soarin'. He gave a few of them autographs and a pat on their shoulder, but started to decline them as they neared the exit. He skipped forward a few paces and held the door open for her with a smile.

Outside the carriage waited for them, with the driver patiently holding the door open. Dash entered and sat herself close to the window at the opposite side. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she felt her body sink down in the fabric. The amount of attention was constricting at times, especially when it wasn't for her; she was just there on the side.

Soarin' leaped in and sat down next to Dash. The interior faded along with the light as the driver closed the door after them. He turned to Dash with a childish grin over his lips. "Ho-boy! Many ponies out here today. I'm really sorry, it's normally not this bad. But I want you to know, I'm having a great time with you," he said, while knocking the roof of the carriage, signaling for them to leave.

She smiled at him and said, "Yeah, so am I. Thank you." Dash closed her mouth and moved her eyes to the other side of the carriage. She did actually mean that. She always thought of dates as boring events, but today was a lot of fun. Her eyes moved to him and rested on his figure. He sat still looking out the other window, smiling at the last of the daylight. Maybe it's time to grow up? she thought to herself, before looking out the window at her side. It was nearing twilight hour, the light started to fade slightly.

The ride was short and uneventful. They sat still, not saying much. Dash looked out the window at the gleaming orange sunset, the very last beams of light before the night would close in. The silence between them didn't feel uncomfortable, but rather odd and yet appreciated. After a while the wagon slowed to a halt and Soarin' sprung up to open the door. He almost leaped out and landed with a thud outside; Dash withheld a giggle and followed him to the door. Looking out, she saw the day slowly turning into night.

Soarin' smiled towards her as he stretched out a hoof to help her out the carriage. As Dash accepted the offered hoof, he said, "Did I mention that you look stunning tonight, Rainbow?"

As she stepped down a tint of red emerged in her cheeks, while murmuring a thank you. The carriage had stopped in front of the Canterlot Gardens; the early night moon bathed the streets before it in a white, almost magical glow. She could see cats crossing the streets while avoiding the light that cast itself from the lanterns down on the road and left huge circles of almost complete whiteness. The creatures of the night slinked themselves through the fences between some of the houses close to the edge, finding their way through various places that would be inaccessible for any creature of lesser grace.

She closed her eyes as she felt the warm night air play with her mane, imagining her previous flight. Dash often flew at this hour. It started out as something she did to burn energy once when she couldn't sleep, trying to find a nice cloud to sleep on instead of her bed. All it took was a turn of the head for her to see Ponyville embraced by darkness; the small sources of light enraptured her. She stayed awake until sunrise, just looking. Now she took a night flight—as she called them—every time she had trouble sleeping, or just needed to think.

"It's a beautiful evening, isn't it?"

She turned and faced him with a smile. "Yeah… I guess."

He walked towards the entrance of the gardens, returning her smile with a big grin. "Come, I got something to show you."

She chuckled at the sight of Soarin' almost tripping in place as he waited for her to get next to him. He joined her as she passed him, walking beside her with a big smile drawn on his lips. Dash took a deep breath as she felt a wing carefully nestling itself on her back, the sudden touch catching her by surprise. She closed her eyes, feeling his wing tapping on her back with every step taken. She forced away the wish to shrug it off; the closeness felt strange, yet comforting.

The Canterlot gardens basked in the white, dim light from the moon, giving it all a magical essence. The only hint of noise in the garden that night was the light clacks of their hooves hitting the stones of the walkways, and some chirps from crickets. Huge green walls made from entwined vines towered next to them. A short breath of wind cast itself between the walls, the leaves shifting as it passed, making the walls seemingly move as the light flickered across them. Small white arches hung over the stone path, with vines hanging down from them, which gently brushed their manes as they walked under them. On the ground next to the tiles, long grass stretched itself up towards the sky, with tiny pods of Nightflowers in between.

After a short walk they rounded a corner. In front of them stood a fountain, and a round white table with two chairs of the same color. In the middle of the table stood a set of candles, with tiny flames flickering in the small gusts of the night. Soarin' withdrew his wing from Dash's back and rushed over to pull out one of the chairs for her. She sat down and looked at the dessert placed on the table as she felt her chair getting pushed in place. Two bits of rainbow colored spheres of ice-cream nestled on the plate, and a tall bottle of champagne with two glasses stood next to it. She picked up the spoon and took a small bite. The taste of it was inconsistent, not staying the same for more than a few seconds of the time, going through all sorts of berries and fruit.

Dash swallowed and felt her eyes glimmer as she looked at Soarin'. "Is this real Zapp-apple ice-cream?" she squeaked, while the tastes tingled down her throat.

Soarin' poured some champagne in their glasses, sat down on the other side of the table and smiled at her while he took a bite himself, before he nodded and said, "Yupp! I got your friend Applejack to make it for tonight. She said you loved Zapp-apple, so I thought that ice-cream made from it couldn't be that bad."

Her eyes glimmered while she stared at the plate. "I-it's awesome! Thanks!" she almost growled the words before she threw herself over the plate and began to devour the ice-cream, scooping it into her mouth with greedy motions. Her head jolted back as a freezing sting shot through her forehead. She held both her hooves on her head and winced. "That stings!" Dash slowly opened her eyes as she heard a bellowing laugh coming from the other side of the table; her cheeks flushed into a red color as she licked around her mouth and turned a sheepish grin towards him.

"Here, you have a little…" He took a napkin over his hoof and leaned over, gently wiping her mouth. Soarin' held his hoof still in front of her, he stared at her while a shade of red sprung to his cheeks. Without moving his eyes, he slowly said, "There… much better."

Dash cocked a brow and looked at the napkin in front of her, smeared with Zapp-apple ice-cream. "Gee… thanks, I'm clean now."

Soarin' sat back down with a faint blush in his cheeks. He took a sip of his champagne and smacked his lips before he asked, "Say... if you don't mind me asking, who is this Scootaloo?"

"Why do you ask?"

He smiled at her. "It's the way you said her name. You care a lot for her, don't you?"

She stared at him, taken a bit aback from the question—or more, the truth to it. The flight lessons with Scootaloo and reading nights with Twilight were the things she looked most forward to. She enjoyed seeing the smile on the small filly's face every time they got together, or even just the beaming grin she had whenever she rode on Dash' back.

"Yeah, I do." Dash felt a warm sensation grow in her stomach. When did I become this sappy? she thought before she continued, "She's an orphan down in Ponyville I spend some days with, teaching her how to fly and whatnot, or just... being there for her. I have been wondering about making the whole 'under my wing' official, like... adopting her as my sister."

"What's stopping you?" Soarin' asked with a quizzical expression.

"I don't really know... What do I have to offer her? I have never been good with any of that girly stuff. I have a steady job, but that's it. I have never had any experience with taking care of anypony before," Dash answered, feeling the regret of the words build up in her.

"I think you're wrong," he retorted.

Dash stared at him. "What do you mean?"

Soarin' smiled and pointed a hoof at her. "Do you know what I see? I see a mare that has more to offer a small filly than she might realize. I think you already see her as a sister; you're just a little afraid of taking the last step. But who else is better to teach a small filly about values than the Element of Loyalty herself? I'm certain you would make a very good role-model for her."

Dash snorted a little. "Yeah, if you take away all the times I buck up."

"From what I've heard from you today, you learn from your mistakes. And if you, for some reason, do make a mistake or two, I'm sure she would understand," he quickly offered.

"You think so?" Dash asked.

Getting a quick nod in answer, she leaned back and took a few sips of her champagne. Maybe he was right? Scootaloo would be overjoyed. I might have more to offer, she quickly thought as a smile formed on her lips. Tomorrow, she would be together with Scootaloo again; Dash looked forward to those days more and more. She took a small bite of cream and relished in the calm silence that fell over the garden as they continued their dessert.

The silence was broken by Soarin' clearing his throat and rising up. He moved a little towards the fountain and said to her, "Come, I have something else to show you."

Soarin' led her to the other side of the fountain and picked up a small cage. His lips tugged back into a smile, as he stuck a hoof into the cage. "I did ask a favor from your friend Fluttershy as well." He slowly pulled out the hoof and gently lowered the cage. He sat on the edge of the fountain and stared at a small creature that now nestled on the tip of his hoof. Without moving his eyes from it, he whispered just loud enough for Dash to hear. "Come closer, but be careful; Lunaflies are timid creatures."

Dash slowly closed the gap between her and Soarin', her magenta eyes fixated on the small being that rested on his hoof. Enraptured, she did not notice how close she came to it. Her breath caused its wings to flicker. The Lunafly turned to face her and played gently on her snout with its feelers; she resisted the urge to sneeze as the Lunafly tingled on the hairs on her muzzle. The small creature climbed on to her and flapped out its transparent purple wings in the process, giving Dash a violet tinge to her vision as they covered her eyes. Seeing it so close, she noticed the dark purple pelt on its body with a back that looked like a glass cocoon.

Soarin' moved closer to them and whispered. "They only come out at night, and if you manage to see them just after the twilight hour they will give you a magnificent view." He moved his muzzle close to hers and blew carefully on the creature, causing it to fly off. "Just see now," he said and turned a smile to Dash.

Her eyes followed the Lunafly while it flew away only a few feet, landing on a Nightflower that had sprung to life as the night drew closer. Its dark blue petals spread out in a lotus, and on the tip the color was broken by a black half-moon. The center of it resembled a full-moon, a bright white circle that stood in contrast with the rest. The Lunafly dipped its snout down in the circle and drank the nectar, causing the cocoon on its back to light up with a light violet hue.

Soarin' stood next to Dash and smiled while he looked at it. He chuckled and said, "You know, I never wanted to be a Wonderbolt."

"You… didn't?" Dash's mind never strayed far from the color that danced in front of her, reminding her of something she held close to her heart.

"No. I was never one for fame or glory; I never appreciated the fact that everypony wants to know what you are doing once you are famous. I just wanted to enjoy life."

"Then why did you?" she asked while slowly moving her eyes to him.

"It's my talent; what you're good at isn't always something you desire most," he said, as he smiled, made his way over to the Lunafly and picked it up. He stared at it for a little before gently tossing it up in the air. "I just wanted to float through life, like a butterfly... I guess that's why they fascinate me so much." He moved back next to her and whispered close to her ear, "Watch."

The Lunafly flew up with erratic motions, while sending out a calming tune for the night. The light that embraced it pulsated with the song, going back and forth in intensity. While Dash watched, a shiver went down her spine, causing her to shudder. She quickly felt a wing laying itself on her back, folding around her body. She turned and looked at Soarin', who smiled towards her; he must have thought that she was freezing. A shade of red sprung to her cheeks; the shudder was not from cold, but from the sheer beauty of the tune played by the Lunafly. It reminded her of when Twilight had to put the Ursa Minor to sleep when it had been dragged into town by Snips and Snails. She swallowed as she felt Soarin' move closer, wrapping his wing around her even tighter. It didn't feel great to have him this close, but it felt good. But Rainbow didn't have the heart to tell him that she wasn't freezing. Besides, as much as she hated to admit it, tonight had been fun. Not normal fun, but—she giggled inside her mind—as Rarity would have said it, 'Delightful'.

Soarin' made her feel different, appreciated in a new way. All other stallions treated her like she was just another of the guys, but Soarin' made her feel... special. Her heart skipped a beat as she caught herself leaning over on his neck; it was almost constricting, followed by a warm tingle in her stomach.

He whispered softly to her, "Listen… the Lunafly sings to the others, calling them here for the blossoming of the Nightflowers."

She raised her head a little, looking out over the field in front of them. "I don-" Dash halted her sentence as small orbs of violet light started to emerge over the grass. First a few, then they appeared everywhere, pulsating in rhythm with the tune that grew in intensity, as some of them flew in erratic movements over them. The motions made it seem like they danced together in the night. As more Lunaflies arrived, the grass in front seemed to be put under a blanket of tranquility with small orbs of purple flickering light placed on top.

"I-it's awesome… no, it's beautiful," she said, without her eyes leaving the sight in front of her.

Feeling a hoof touching her chin, she turned her head and looked into his light blue eyes; they sparkled with a brilliant luster in the dim light from the Lunaflies and the moon. He slowly lifted her head up and pressed his lips to hers. Dash felt a warm sensation ripple through her body. Her eyes almost glared at his, only to be met with two eyelids. As the surprise of his action faded, she slowly closed her eyes and returned his approach. For a short while, she felt as time stood still while standing in the warm embrace. His wings enveloped them, creating a place just for them, where nothing else but this moment mattered.


	5. Ties

**Ties**

"Tha new me looks sassy, an' she got a bite to 'er as well."

"Stop it!"

"Ouch! Wha' was that for?!"

"Well, for starters… stop eyeing yourself in a dress, and, secondly, how come you have never taken me on such a date? We've been married for almost six hundred years."

"Ah… c'mon love! Don't be like that; yeh know I love yah. Besides, she's not me, just tha continuation of tha Loyalty line."

Dash was awoken by a nuzzle on her cheek and a small whisper of "good morning" in her ear. She squinted as she felt the morning sun glare in through a window; after a moment, her eyes adjusted and scanned the room. It had light blue walls, with one big window in the middle of the wall opposite the bed. The roof was of an egg-white color, and a chandelier made from glass crystals hung in the center. On the wooden floor stood some simple furniture made of dark oak. She tugged the blanket and dove under it, making a cocoon, enveloping herself in complete blackness.

"I made breakfast."

Dash answered with something that only could be interpreted as a grunt, "Wha..?" quickly followed it.

She pulled down the blanket and poked her head out. Soarin' stood next to the bed in blue pajama-shirt with yellow bolts spread out in a pattern on the fabric. He gave her a goofy smile and placed a tray over her in the bed. The breakfast consisted of a hay sandwich and a glass of juice. On the left part of the tray a warm pie was cooling off.

He chuckled and said, "I have never been much of a cook, but I do know how to make pie, so I hope at least that tastes good."

Dash pushed aside a strand of her mane and cocked a brow towards him. "You're wearing pajamas?" she noted while stifling a laugh.

He stretched a hoof out at her and said, "Not just any pajamas! They're the official Soarin' pajamas from the Wonderbolt merchandise shop! Just feel how soft this is!"

She hesitantly touched the fabric and smiled at him. "Heh, it is soft."

Turning her attention to the food in front of her, she took a bite off the sandwich, quickly feeling a burning sensation in her mouth. As she chewed the spice scorched her tongue, and the lumpy paste seemed to grow in her mouth.

Suppressing the thought of furrowing her nose she turned and asked "Hey, what time is it?"

"A little after eight, why?" Soarin' answered quickly with a smile.

Dash swallowed the contents in her mouth and jumped out of bed; the food burned and sent shivers down her spine as it traveled down her throat. "Shoot! I gotta go!"

"Oh… already?" Soarin' responded with a heavy voice.

"Yeah, I promised Scootaloo I would come early today," Dash replied as she pushed past Soarin' through the bedroom door.

Dash rushed down the stairs and leaped through the kitchen. It was built in the same design as the bedroom: oval with light blue walls. The smell of burnt food played in her nose; upon the counter a few pieces of blackened loaf rested on a plate. Light wooden furniture stood at the side of the kitchen, placed so that when one ate breakfast there they would see the sunrise over the rooftops of the city through a small window. The kitchen wall was right next to the street, making the sound of the morning buzz easily audible in the room.

She opened the kitchen door and felt the morning sun wash over her fur. She flared her wings and bent her legs, tensing every muscle in her body. Her whole form was like a spring ready to bounce at any second. The tension in her muscles tightened as they got warmer.

"Wait!"

The voice shrieked through her trance, causing Dash to only launch her rear end. After almost crashing face first into the ground, she folded her wings and snapped her head back, spying Soarin' fumbling down the stairs.

"What?" she yelled, irritation weighing down her voice.

A shade of red emerged in his cheeks as he reached the door and said to her, "I was just wondering when I could see you again…"

"Tomorrow, I guess? I'm meeting Spitfire then, at least. I assume you will be there?" she offered hastily.

"Well, yeah…" Soarin' muttered in response.

Dash looked at the blue Pegasus that stood in the door, with his ears now flopped back and eyes drilling a hole in the ground. A turmoil appeared in her stomach as she realized what the question entailed. Sure, she did have a good time last night, even went home with him. The thought of sharing everything with somepony scared her, but Soarin' gave some sort of comfort on those thoughts. Dash had never been told what falling in love felt like, nor did she care much to learn how it felt. Being able to trust somepony of the opposite gender completely must be part of it, she reasoned to herself. What little she had heard from Rarity was something she didn't really believe; the white fashionista had a tendency to exaggerate on this sort of things. And when it came to love she had said something about the pony in question would give off an aura that just you could see, nothing around him would matter, and his embrace would be all that counted.

Dash laughed to herself at the thought. Still… another night with Soarin' wouldn't hurt. His gentle nature, how easily he got embarrassed and how he stumbled when he got nervous. All those things made him… cute, and maybe a little handsome.

Dash leaned forward and placed a kiss on his cheek. "Hey… thanks for last night…" She felt her cheeks burn and raised a hoof to scratch the back of her head. "I… wouldn't mind doing it again sometime." She turned and flared her wings; with a glare she said, "Don't tell anypony I just did that."

With a leap she was up in the air; a grin appeared over her face seeing Soarin' beam up from the little gesture. Dash sailed away on the currents that rushed between the gates of Canterlot, passing market stalls that were being opened in different manners. Some required just sliding a wooden plate to the side while others required to open up locks, put out posters and set out merchandise for display to lure the many customers of the day in. The closer to the landing platform she got, the louder the common buzz of the city grew. At its worst it was almost like a beehive; no distinct sounds, just a loud buzz.

Dash furrowed her brows and looked up as she glided forward. The Royal Guard was patrolling over Canterlot. She grumbled for herself, wishing that she could pick up speed to get to the outer area of Canterlot, where the flight platform was located, more quickly, but seeing the guards around made it impossible to do so.

Regulations in Canterlot required all pegasi to fly in a slow pace and, if it could be avoided, stay clear of the air space above the city entirely. It were to be kept clear for scheduled flights and emergency transportation such as ambulance or royal duties. Normally, if you broke the flight rules, nothing would happen; you would get a stern talk and then be sent on your way again. But if for some reason the guards saw it necessary they all had a grounding spell; it forced a pegasus' wings to clasp to their sides, rendering them unable to fly. This solution wasn't perfect; after a few unfortunate accidents with Pegasi getting injured upon impact with the ground, thanks to an over-eager application of the spell, the unicorns made a staff to attach to the armor of the pegasus guards that allowed them to levitate the affected equine.

An arch of white stone greeted her as she reached the entrance to the landing platform. Her hooves touched the warm cobblestones and clacked as she walked through the arch. The hallway leading to the area designated for takeoff curved away into multiple paths, each leading to a different zone. Dash swerved to the right, trotting down under the sign that read 'Ponyville'.

Dash raised a hoof fending off the glaring sun as she entered the outside area for flying. On the ground was painted an enormous red circle, with a mix between orange and white inside it, and at the very center the mark of the sun goddess was emblazoned. Right next to the center a black pole stood with two lights, one red and one green, to signal when it was clear to take off. The outer area of the landing platform was decorated with bright green grass and a few trees, with benches placed in the cooling shadow for anypony that needed a rest after a long flight.

While standing in line, waiting for the clearance to take off, Dash spotted a familiar gray mare with a golden mane that shone brightly. Ditzy was gathering up few papers that riddled the ground from her latest crash. After she had picked up the mess, she turned and apologized to a stallion who stood near her before she started to walk away. Dash couldn't help but to smile towards her; everypony knew what Ditzy was doing in Canterlot during this time of the year, at least everypony from Ponyville.

Right after the birth of her daughter Dinky, Ditzy's mother fell ill with a sickness rendering her unable to walk, so Ditzy had used all her savings to buy her mother a spot in Canterlot's finest hospital. She was still paying for her to stay there. She always visited her mother a couple of times a month, but around this time she stayed longer for her mother's birthday. Seeing how the gray mare struggled to make ends meet, while having only the post office job, the mayor made a fundraiser for Ditzy, gathering bits for the downpayment on their house. Dash smiled, remembering Ditzy's face once the whole town surprised her. Probably for the first time in her life, she looked straight ahead, focusing both her eyes at the crowd gathered outside her house, and, for the first time since the birth of her daughter Ditzy, cried, thanking everypony for their generosity.

Dash watched Ditzy run into town; she swallowed, a lump growing in her throat. A shadow lingered in the doorway, a grey Pegasus with the same color on his mane as her own. As quickly as the shadow appeared, it vanished like dust in the wind. Just like he had done earlier from her life, just vanished…

Dash snapped out of her thoughts hearing her name being called up, she placed herself in on the mark of Celestia and stared at the red light, tensing every muscle in her body, strung like a spring waiting for it to turn green. With a loud ping the light switched color and she shot herself away, batting up a huge cloud of dust in her wake. Hearing the coughs from under her, she grinned as big as her mouth allowed.

The wind whipped through her mane. Her smile grew bigger as she felt the rush she had been longing for since the day before. Crashing into a few clouds she completely diminished them. Canterlot quickly faded behind her as she upped the speed of her flight. Under her, she saw the train going between Ponyville and Equestria, spewing grey smoke as it chased forward. She dove down as she spotted a green mire filled with lakes of murky water here and there. With her hoof, she brushed the tufts of grass, feeling the coarse sprouts swat upon her fur. The blue Pegasus that soared over the ground like a bolt was the only sign of life upon this wasteland; even with all the water that resided here, not a single creature was to be seen, and with the layer of thick fog it looked like a place no pony would be able to live. Even so, it was rumored that an old race of ponies lived here that somehow managed to live out of what little resources that was to be found. The water in this area had been polluted by creatures venturing here at the end of their lifespan; for reasons unknown, the animals decided to drown themselves. Each race had its own lake so that the gasses created from it weren't only held at one place; rather, they spread around, killing everything else and slowly turning the lush green area into a land of famine.

It was on trips like this that she felt alive, alone with her thoughts. As she flew forward the turmoil in her stomach grew; the feeling from the platform lingered even as she tried to enjoy her flight. It had been with her since the gala, just not this strong; the shadow of a certain pegasus and the action of a unicorn sat sharply in her memory.

Trees grew at the edge of the mire, signaling that a traveler would have passed the land where no creature lived, or marking their entry to it. The area on the other side stood in stark contrast of the mire. Instead of murky waters, travelers were met with a sight of crystal clear lakes which the rays of the sun played on, gleaming off in a warm welcome to any creature that would venture here. The grass wasn't coarse, but soft, as if it was inviting you to lie down and relax while enjoying the warmth of the green valley. Here, creatures were in abundance, flocking over the fields in packs or traveling alone. As if a mutual treaty between carnivores and herbivores had been created, not a single animal seemed afraid of getting near any source of water.

She pushed back the thoughts and let a grin draw itself over her mouth as she spotted the perfect lake; the moment she was over it, she folded her wings to her side and dived. The cold mountain-water enveloped her body as she crashed into it, and after a few seconds she emerged at the surface and laid back so her body dipped in the surface. With her eyes closed she felt the wet fur on her stomach being heated by the warmth of the day, while her wings were spread out below her in the cold of the lake. She shuddered in delight; the contrast of temperatures gave her a unique feeling.

Lifting up a hoof, she found her herself smiling as her eyes followed a drop of water that ran down her fur. She moved it slightly to the side, letting the sun gleam through the pearl of liquid that dribbled over her. Dash couldn't shake the feeling she had of doing this before; she knew something would happen soon, just not what specifically. Shaking the thought away, she let her hoof fall in the water causing a faint mist to douse her face.

A frown grew on her face. Rarity had arranged a get together this afternoon at the spa of all things. But seeing that it was Rarity it was no surprise; after all, she had to keep her fur posh. She would probably want to hear everything that happened last night. Dash snickered at herself as she mimicked the white unicorn's voice in her head. 'Darling, do tell, what happened last last night?' She shrugged and continued to drift lazily in the lake.

She submerged herself one last time and leaped out of the lake. Her wings were cooled down to such a point that it almost stung with every stroke of her them, just enough to give her that extra kick as she dived over the vast green landscape dodging thin trees and bushes as she flew.

Dash grinned as she passed the white-tipped mountains that boxed in the green valley. Yesterday's events had sparked something in her: a sense of accomplishment she had never felt before. Her decision was final, and the more she thought about it the better it felt. The adoption of her number one fan. With the support of her friends nothing could go wrong. Sure, she wasn't the best at this family stuff, but being a good role model was something she could do pretty well. It couldn't be that much different, could it? She dove again, touching the snow briefly with her hoof before shooting up into the air again. She closed her eyes and imagined the smile on Scootaloo's face once she told her about this.

She opened her eyes again, and her grin disappeared. First there was a certain unicorn she needed to confront. The uneasy feeling she had had in her chest since the gala; the feeling that wouldn't go away no matter how much she focused on different things. The same sorrow she had been feeling for many years after her father left her; the same pain that pierced her heart at the platform.

Dash never knew why her father left. He just did. She sometimes woke at night after dreaming about that day, the day her father stood in the doorway of their house whispering a quiet goodbye and sorry to the filly he left behind. He was the reason she had such a hard time letting anypony close. She swallowed; when she finally did let somepony close, she had left as well. Dash clenched her teeth and pressed back the water welling up in her eyes. Twilight had a reason, and, unlike her dad, Dash knew exactly where she was.

As Ponyville drew closer over the horizon, the familiar colors and shapes started to spring forth. She flew straight for the library, passing by Rarity's shop and Sugarcube Corner in a flash. Dust whirled as she landed on the road; she waited for it to settle and took a deep breath.

Dash approached the library; the large hollowed tree towered over her in the sun, draping the green grass around it in a black shadow. The leaves on the branches crackled as they fluttered in the wind. Small bugs sat still on the walls, basking in the warmth of the day. At the end of the road a red door was embedded to the tree, the golden hinge of it gleamed in contrast with the rest of the building.

She stared at the door for a short while, contemplating what she would say once Twilight came out. Her neck tingled with warmth while she held her hoof in mid-air. Twilight had done just like her dad and left her alone the moment it became difficult, alone and wondering why. She felt her chest contract as she remembered the faint whisper of goodbye from her father. Like that was going to make up for the fact that he left. Dash forced away the painful lump that started to grow in her throat like a balloon and jabbed her hoof forward, getting a loud thud in response. Only a few seconds later, annoyed grunts and the sound of hooves hitting wood could be heard inside, followed shortly by the scraping from some locks being opened.

Twilight emerged from the doorway, squinting at Dash with a perplexed expression. Her violet eyes had huge bags of dark fur under them, and her mane shot strains of hair in all directions, almost giving Twilight a purple halo as the sun glared into the dark library through the messy mane.

Dash forced an awkward smile. "Hi…"

Twilight furrowed her brows and glared. "What are you doing here?"

Cocking a brow, Dash snarled, "I came to talk to you, and what's with the attitude?"

"Like you wouldn't know…" the unicorn said with a heavy voice, as she started to slide the door shut.

Dash slammed her hoof on the door and stared at Twilight. "No, I don't know! And I'm not leaving until you tell me!"

Twilight's ears flopped back while her eyes bored a hole in the ground. "Let go of the door, Rainbow."

"Are you afraid that just because I went on a date I'll stop hanging out with you?! Is that it?!" Dash felt her eyes burn while she glared at her friend.

Twilight turned her eyes at Dash with a defiant stare. "No! You wouldn't understand anyway!"

"Then what?! Help me understand!" Dash bellowed.

Twilight hissed back, "No! And you know what, you don't deserve to know!"

Dash snarled at Twilight, "Have you gone insane?! I didn't run away, you did!"

"So?!"

"So? That's all you have to say?! Did you get hit on the head with one of your stupid big books or something?! I have no idea what's going on and you try to put the blame on me?!" Dash shot her wings out with the response.

"You hurt my feelings, alright?!" Twilight growled. "I helped you get that appointment with the Wonderbolts, and all you do is to go get a date!"

"Your feelings? Did you ever stop for more than two seconds and think about how it felt for me?!" Dash yelled and clenched her jaws together.

"Felt for you? Aren't you awesome and all that stuff? Can you get hurt? I didn't think you could; you're too absorbed in yourself to be hurt or have proper feelings!" Twilight said, as she mimicked Dash with a flex of her hooves.

"You're wrong! Watching you run away hurt... hurt more than I can describe..." Dash felt the lump in her throat return, painfully pressing inside her and making her voice crack. "How could you...?" She tilted her head down, letting her tears fall from her chin, making dark circles on the ground.

A deafening silence occurred between them; only their breaths could be heard, amongst the gust that entwined itself in the leaves of the trees scattered around in Ponyville. Time passed as Dash sat on the ground, trying to contain her sulks, flinching every time one escaped her lips. After a few intakes of breath, an audible gasp came from Twilight.

Twilight pushed forward and lifted Dash's head with her hoof. "Rainbow… why are you crying?"

Dash blinked away the veil of water in her eyes and looked back at Twilight's violet eyes. Her voice came as a hoarse whisper, "You left me… just like he did... Why would you do that?" Dash felt every muscle in her body tremble as she slumped down. She jerked her head away from Twilight's hoof and wiped away the rivers that ran down her cheeks away. "I thought…"

Before she could continue she felt a pair of hooves embrace her, Twilight whispered with a shaken voice. "I… I didn't think..."

They sat in each other's embrace for a good while, not saying anything. Dash felt Twilight's hoof run up and down her mane. The tension she had carried in her body since the gala ebbed away with each sob that jolted through her body. As if her body moved on its own, she clasped her hooves around Twilight and pressed her muzzle harder into the purple fur, letting out muffled sobs.

Twilight leaned down and whispered, "Would you like a cup of tea?"

Twilight grabbed hold of Dash and guided her towards the red bench that stood by the side of the tree and disappeared inside.

She sat down with a sigh, wiping away tears that trickled down her chin. Dash leaned back and closed her eyes, her mind falling back to the last weeks: the feeling she had gone with all this time, the feeling of abandonment. The void in her stomach slowly disappeared as the minutes passed, and her limbs felt unusually light as the tension slipped away from her body. Her ears picked up the sound of ponies walking by on the road that went past the library and continued into Ponyville. Some stopped and assumingly looked at the blue pegasus that sat alone on the red bench. One side of her mouth pulled back into a half smile. Right now, Dash did not care if ponies looked at her; she had a sense of relief washing over her and nothing could take that away right now.

She slowly cracked her eyes up as she heard the sound of cutlery being placed in front of her. Twilight poured some colored liquid in the two cups that stood ready and lifted them up with a violet-hued glow.

Accepting the cup floating in front of her, she smiled weakly. "I-I don't know what came over me, Twi—"

"Don't…" Twilight said as she sat down next to Dash.

"Don't what?"

"Don't say that you're sorry… or anything like that. I'm the one who should be sorry… I panicked and ran away from a tough situation, which obviously was something I shouldn't have done. I didn't realize how much it would upset you…" Twilight turned towards Rainbow, her features were drawn and pulled together in a stern frown as she continued, "I'm truly sorry. Can you forgive me for being such an idiot?"

"Of course I will; everypony can panic now and then... Just promise you won't do it again," the blue pegasus said before taking a sip of the tea.

Dash let go of a hum while she felt the soothing warmth of the tea tingle down her throat. A careful smile tugged on her lips as she felt the taste of cinnamon and other herbs dance on her tongue. It was the same brew Twilight had made them on their first reading night. She had heard something about a tea that soothed a stressed mind, and, seeing as she had been under a lot of stress that week, Twilight had decided to try it out. Dash had always wondered how a smart pony like Twilight could have such trouble following the recipe for a simple tea; the first attempts had been a disaster. After the whole evening with her nose stuck in a cookbook, she finally managed to get it right, just like now.

She turned to Twilight and continued, "Why did you panic, though? It wasn't like I told you anything that'd cause your world to crash down."

"Well…" Twilight dragged her hooves through the grass, before quickly shaking her head. "Never mind. Tell me, how did your date go?"

Dash felt her cheeks burn. "I-I don't wanna talk about it."

"Oh?" Twilight exclaimed with a faint smile curling at her lips.

"It's just… he's a decent guy and all that, but he just seems so… happy. In a childish sort of way, though," Dash answered, waving her hoof in dismissal.

They sat still and enjoyed their tea in the sun, not saying anything at all. A gust cast itself over the plains in front of the library causing the leaves to whisper a subtle welcome. The smell of the tea rose and entwined itself in the wind, tingling softly in her nose, not too strong, just as a reminder that it was there with the smell of the flowers that followed the gust. In a bush nearby, crickets chirped their songs; joined with coos of the birds, it painted the perfect spring morning. Dash smiled to herself; this was exactly what she had missed: being able to sit in silence without it being weird. She leaned her head back, feeling the sun warm up her wet coat. Dash turned and opened her eyes again as she heard Twilight clear her throat.

"Rainbow… if you don't mind me asking… what did you mean by 'You left me like him'?" Twilight said as she fixed her gaze at Dash.

Dash spun the cup between her hooves and said hesitantly, "I'd rather not talk about it…"

Twilight rested a hoof on Rainbows shoulder and smiled reassuringly. "Are you sure? I did something to upset you, Rainbow. I know what it was, but help me understand why. I only want to help anyway that I can."

A sigh escaped her lips and she swallowed. "Fine…" Dash turned to face the sun. "You know how I never talk about my father?"

"Yes?" Twilight quickly nodded.

"Well, I don't know when it was exactly, but a few months after the Equestria Games judge was in Cloudsdale..." She swallowed, struggling to keep her voice from breaking. "I came home one day, having just aced the flight speed test; I was super excited about it and wanted to tell my dad." A tear trickled down her cheek as she swallowed, "But once I got home… I found him standing in the doorway, whispering a goodbye… that's the last time I saw him."

"I..." Twilight exclaimed while putting a hoof over her muzzle.

"Who does that to a foal? I was Scootaloo's age for crying out loud! And with my mom gone… he left me as a filly to fend for myself alone!" Dash felt her hooves shake as she clenched her teeth together, feeling streaks of water flowing down her cheeks. "I was just a foal, dammit! How could he…"

Twilight laid a hoof on Dash's shoulder. "I get it; you don't have to explain anything more to me." Her eyes got a veil for them while she continued, "If it is any comfort, I promise that I will never put you through such a thing again."

Dash smiled weakly towards Twilight and nodded. An appreciated silence grew over the library yard again, letting only the faint chirp of the birds nestling in the branches above sing through. Dash's ear flicked as the short snores of a sleeping dragon joined in on the morning choir.

"I'm going to adopt Scootaloo…" Dash said while grinning at her own reflection in the colored liquid in her cup, breaking the silence.

Twilight sprayed the contents of her mouth forward, creating a mist in front of her. She turned and exclaimed to Dash, "You're what?!"

"I'm ad—"

Twilight put a hoof up. "No, I heard you, I just find it… odd. What made you decide this?"

Dash took a deep breath and chuckled. "Why not? I'm spending all my free time with her, anyway; we are more or less like sisters." She lifted her head up and felt the warmth tingle on her fur.

Twilight took a sip of her tea and responded, "It's a huge responsibility, Dash, have you ever thought about that? As it is now, you don't have to make sure she has food or anything like that. Now you're just there whe—"

"I know, Twilight… I know how it is not having anypony to rely on." Dash swiped away a tear and smiled towards Twilight. "I don't want her to grow up like me, having nopony around, nopony to turn to if it gets difficult, growing resentful and unable to let anypony truly close... She deserves better, Twi, and I can give it to her."

"But are you sure you're up to the task?" Twilight quickly asked.

Dash snorted. "You managed to take care of a dragon; I'm sure I can manage a filly."

"It's a bit different…" The unicorn answered with a wry smile.

Dash rose and flared her wings. "I'm the best flier in Equestria, and soon the best role model and sister ever! You just wait and see!"

"As long as you're sure about it..." Twilight said, with a hint of reluctance weighing in her voice.

"I am." Dash grinned.

Closing her eyes, she leaned her head down a little; it had been a long time, too long. Dash opened one of her eyes and turned to face it at Twilight, "Say… could we read together again soon?"

Twilight hesitated and bit her lip while her eyes focused away from Dash, after an audible sigh she answered "Sure, I'd love to."

"It doesn't have to be at once; just so I have something to look forward to again," she said, still with only one eye turned towards Twilight.

Twilight took a deep breath and huffed, "Say in a few days?"

"Awesome! See you tonight at the spa, then!"

With a strong bat of her wings, she took off into the air and made haste to the orphanage. Dash felt an inner warmth while she flew forward; Ponyville passed like a fast blur.

Seeing the orphanage rising in the distance, she grinned at the little orange dot that sat and waited for her at the stairs. The house had an almost black color on its walls, and the windows had a bright red color on their frames that matched the color of the huge wooden door to the entrance. A cloud of dust rose as she landed; before it could settle, Dash got tossed backwards and felt something cling onto her neck as she tumbled backwards.

"You're here!" Scootaloo said with a big smile etched in her face.

"Of course I'm here, Squirt. Ready for some fun?" Dash said, patting Scootaloo on the head.

"You bet! I've been waiting for this the whole weekend." Scootaloo jumped over and headed to a pile of gear that consisted of a purple helmet and four orange kneepads.

"Say… Scoot, would you like to ride on my back today? Y'know, just fly and relax?" Dash asked while looking at Scootaloo, as she struggled to put on the kneepads.

"Really? Can't we just train some more? Then I can fly with you, instead of just sitting on your back," Scootaloo said as a perplexed expression came over her.

A careful smile came over Dash's face. "I want to show you something, and wouldn't it be awesome to just have a day with me?"

"A day off couldn't hurt, I guess. We can train extra hard next time!" Scootaloo bellowed while jumping down from the stairs.

The orange filly fumbled towards Dash as she attempted to walk while taking off two of the kneepads she had put on, failing at it halfway, losing her footing and fall chin first onto the ground. She let go of a giggle, quickly stood up and headed towards Dash.

Dash kneeled down and spread her wings; feeling Scootaloo getting in place after some struggle, she smiled. Scootaloo's hooves encircled her neck and clamped a tight hold.

"Hang on tight then, Squirt!" Dash yelled as she jumped up from the ground, following with a strong bat of her wings.

Ponyville quickly faded behind them as they soared upwards in the shifting winds. They broke the sky layer through a gray cloud, creating a thin veil of water on their coats that gleamed in the sun as they flew over the cloudbanks. Rays broke through the clouds and shot down as beams of pure orange.

They flew around for a good time, skipping between clouds and making the puffy balls spin as they passed by. They soared up to the highest layer of the sky and were met with a rare sight. The clouds layered themselves together, entwining into each other to create a landscape of white clouded hills, divided by lines of shadow, with small slits of light between them. Over the horizon the sun rose slowly like a fiery red gem, shooting out an orange glow to engulf the area nearby in a bright light.

Spying a big white cloud that floated a little over the rest, Dash flew higher with a strong flap of her wings. As they landed, small puffs of white floated up around them creating a barrage of tiny cloud fragments. Scootaloo jumped down and rolled around on the cloud instantly after Dash folded her wings.

Looking at the filly, Dash remembered the first time she brought Scootaloo up on the clouds. Never being able to feel the clouds before left Scootaloo terrified; so terrified, in fact, that, no matter how much Dash reassured her that it was okay to jump on them, she refused to let go of the blue wing she held on to.

After a few times it became easier, and, just like now, Scootaloo started to jump off her back instantly after the landed, longing after the feeling of clouds more and more.

"It feels so nice!" Scootaloo said quickly following it with a grin.

Dash looked as Scootaloo ran around on the cloud, taking in the sights below from every angle the filly could. Well, it's now or never… she thought, swallowing heavily.

"Hey… Scoot, come and sit down for a minute, will yah?" Dash said while she flinched at her own uncertainty that weighed in her voice. Dammit… get it together, there's no going back now.

Scootaloo jumped around and landed in front of Dash with a huge grin; she sat down and squeaked. "What is it?"

Dash tapped a hoof on her chin, thinking of how to formulate what she had to say. Taking a deep breath, she slowly spoke up. "Well… I sorta took you up here for another reason…"

Tilting her head, Scootaloo responded, "Oh? What for?"

"It's just… err..." She tapped a hoof to her forehead and swore at herself. "Ok, let's try again. How do you like the orphanage?"

"I like it there!" Scootaloo chirped. "But... sometimes, I wonder how it would be to have a room of my own. Or just have a house to call home..."

Dash looked at Scootaloo while she smacked her lips, as she tried formulating the next question. "Don't you ever feel… alone?"

Scootaloo nodded slowly. "I do, but it's not so bad."

"Oh? What makes you say that?"

"Cause I'm not alone. I have Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle to play with all the time." She stood up and walked over to the edge of the cloud and stared down at Ponyville. "And I have you…" Scootaloo turned and smiled at Dash. "I don't know who my parents are, and I may never know, but I know you'd never leave me, so I don't worry so much about it. When I'm not with you or Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle I just have breaks."

Dash smiled and quickly offered, "Well… what if you didn't have those breaks?"

"What do you mean?" the filly said, as she turned to face Dash with a brow cocked up.

"Heh, I been having this crazy thought for some time now, seeing as I'm with you every time I have the chance... I was thinking that maybe… you know…" Dash cursed at hearing herself speaking this awkwardly. "How would you like to move in with me? Like a real sister."

Dash watched as Scootaloo stood frozen in place, staring directly at her. It looked like somepony just had struck her with an electric shock, a little twitch under her left eye was the only thing that moved. Scootaloo's eyes widened as the words slowly dawned on her.

Waving a hoof up in front of her Scootaloo's face, she said in a low whisper, "Scoots… you there?"

A small tear trickled down Scootaloo's chin, she blinked at Dash and stuttered, "I-I… you would...? I mean… really?"

Dash nodded, placed a hoof on Scootaloo's mane and ruffled it. "Yeah. I may not be all that good with this kind of thing, but I want to try being there for you, Scoots." Her lips tugged back into a careful smile. "You've been alone long enough, Scootaloo, don't you think?"

With a strong leap, Scootaloo tackled Dash sending them tumbling down from the puffy cloud. Dash flared her wings and sailed down, landing on a cloud further down.

Still having the small filly clutched around her neck, she chuckled. "You still gotta be careful up here, Squirt." Turning to face the orange orb in the sky, Dash smiled. "One day, though… you won't need to; I'll make sure of that."

Scootaloo pressed her muzzle into Dash's coat, shouting into it. "Thank you!"

With a hesitant motion, Dash folded her wings around Scootaloo, grinning as a warm sensation spread from her stomach and out to the tips of her wings. They sat still like that for a short time, Dash with her head resting on top of Scootaloo's, staring out over the grand cloudbacks of the sky. Light streamed through and shot like beams from the slits between the clouds.

Seeing the birds dance over the clouds, a realisation dawned upon Dash; she felt more happy now than what she did when Spitfire told her that she could try out for the Wonderbolts. The thought of being a pony Scootaloo could rely on excited her more than the thought of being a Bolt. Dash almost let Scootaloo go in panic of this realisation, but instead took a deep breath and let a smile grow on her lips. She let her eyes close and thought of her future as an adult family member and a pony of trust for Scootaloo. The more she thought about it, the less the thought scared her.

Dash opened her eyes and pushed Scootaloo at a hoof-length. "It won't happen at once, though. I will fill out the papers tonight, and then some time after that it will be done."

Scootaloo's small wings swatted in a furious tempo, causing her to float a little above the cloud. Completely ignoring it, she yelled towards Dash. "I can't wait to tell Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle! This is so awesome!"

They sat on the cloud talking about what they would do once they moved in together. The ideas went from building a ramp in the living room, to having sword-fights during the night when they both should be asleep. But the most important subject was how they would solve the living conditions, as Scootaloo couldn't stay at Dash's cloudhouse. After some quick thinking, Dash concluded that they could rent a house down in Ponyville till Scootaloo managed to fly.

Dash looked at the sky, seeing the sun almost right above them. "I'm afraid we have to cut it short here, Squirt. I'm meeting Twilight and the others at the spa."

Scootaloo snorted before bursting out into a laugh. "You at the spa? Isn't that a bit girly for you?"

"It's not like I do all those girly things, but they have a very nice hot-tub there," Dash said as she bumped Scootaloo on the side.

"I'm sure they do," Scootaloo said, as she climbed up on Dash's back with a giggle and tightened her hooves around her neck.

"Hey, I'm the bigger sister, so I'm the one who's supposed to make fun of you," Dash retorted and jumped down from the cloud.

The wind whipped through their manes as they dived towards Ponyville. As the ground drew closer they dodged small birds that flew lazily forward, not expecting a blue Pegasus with an orange filly on her back to almost crash into them. Some of the birds let out a high pitched chirp, before they bolted off in another direction. For them, it was a close call with their certain doom, not just a meeting with a daredevil of a Pegasus.

They landed outside the orphanage and headed towards the stairs, with Scootaloo jumping forward in lead. She disappeared through the door before Dash could say anything.

The door closed before Dash could reach it, giving a loud bang as it shut. Each step she took up the stairs felt heavy, almost like she was walking with weights. Her eyes rested on the handle of the crimson colored door; it seemed bigger than before, almost like it towered over her. She slowly raised her hoof towards the handle, feeling her heart beat faster the closer it got. Dash swallowed hard and yanked the door open.

No going back now; she deserves it, Dash thought to herself as she passed through the doorway in front of her.

The insides of the orphanage had a lively yellow color on the walls, adorned with small red swirls in line down to the floor, which was laid in a gleaming light wood color. The roof was, in contrast with the floor, a dark oak color. Lamps hung from the huge support beams that stretched all the way over from side to side, and on the beams farthest away a sleeping chamber had been made on top.

In the myriad of foals that ran around on the floor giggling loudly as they chased each other for some game they played, Dash spotted Scootaloo jumping up with her small wings buzzing with excitement, causing her to hover for a second before dropping down in front of the head nurse. She ran around in a circle and bolted off towards her room.

The nurse turned and headed towards Dash with a smile. She had luminescent white fur, with a mane and tail of bright red; her eyes had a golden gleam to them and her cutie-mark resembled a baby's rattle. Dash felt a twitch in her right wing as the white pony came closer; she had an uncanny resemblance to nurse Redheart at the hospital where Dash was when she had injured her wing.

As she reached Dash, she stuck out a hoof and smiled a little wider. "I don't believe we have met properly. I am Kindle Heart, but you can call me Kindle."

Dash took the offered hoof and shook it. "Rainbow Dash."

"Scootaloo just told me that you have decided to adopt her. Is that correct?" Kindle asked with a quizzical expression.

Dash nodded quickly and said, "That's right."

Kindle clapped her hooves together and squealed, "You have no idea how glad I am to hear that, Miss Dash. Now, would you like to join me in the office so we can set up some papers for you to fill out?" she finished as she started to walk towards a door that hid in the back of the room.

The little room beyond had little special about it; the floor and roof were the same as the bigger room, and the walls had a boring white color. In the middle of the room a small, round glass table with light grey legs stood, while next to it a couple of light blue pillows with yellow flowers embroidered into them rested on the floor. Dash sat down on one of the pillows and looked as Kindle shuffled through the dark wooden bookshelves in the back of the room, tossing books to the side or sending paper out flying. With a happy little squeak, she nibbled out some papers and turned to give them to Dash, as she sat down on the opposite side of the table.

"Here are the required papers for the adoption of Scootaloo," Kindle said as she slid them over, giving a smile at Dash before she continued, "I've got to say, Miss Dash, that I have been hoping and looking forward to this day for quite some time."

"You have?" Dash responded while she read through the papers.

"Yes. Ever since you started coming here to be with her, it's all she ever talks about. If she isn't out with Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, she waits for you to come around." Kindle giggled. "So I think with this around the corner for little Scootaloo, I will see that happy smile of hers every day."

Dash retorted with a laugh, "Yeah, I bet!"

Kindle's face got stern and she leaned over the table, "I assume you have taken into account what a huge responsibility this is? She needs food, a ro—"

"Relax, Kindle," she interrupted, with a smile drawn on her mouth. "I have given it a lot of thought. I know I'm ready for this, and I will be sure to give Scootaloo everything she deserves," Dash said as she folded the papers together and picked it up with her teeth.

The smile returned to Kindle's face, and she stood up. "I'm glad to hear it. I think that that is all you need from me, for now. Be sure to fill those out accordingly and return here once you're done."

Dash and Kindle walked towards the door, crossing paths with dozens of the small foals that ran around yelling happily at each other. At the end of the room, Scootaloo sat on a small white bench and waited by the door with a huge grin plastered on her face.

Kindle tapped Dash on the shoulder and whispered, "I'll leave you two alone. I'm over here if you need me."

Scootaloo jumped up as Dash reached her and bounced up and down. "Are those the papers? Yes! This is so awesome!"

Dash placed the paper on the bench next to them and smiled. "Yupp! Soon it'll official that we're sisters, Scoots!" She ruffled Scootaloo's mane. "But now I gotta go; the others are waiting for me. I'll be back in a few days, though, with these papers all filled out."

Scootaloo turned around and dived under the bench; she returned with an old grey saddlebag. She placed it in front of Dash and said, "I want you to have this."

Dash picked up the bag and looked at it; the fabric was worn like one would expect from a saddlebag of a traveler. At the bottom of one of pouches, a red cluster of crudely done threads was visible, as if a foal had sewn together a hole that had been there. The seams on the rest of the bag were done with a light orange thread, and on the front flap it had the markings of the international mail guild, an envelope encircled by two pegasi.

A stutter escaped Dash's lips, "I-I… I can't take this, Scoots. It's the only thing you have left from your dad."

Scootaloo shook her head. "Take it." She smiled and continued, "I want you to have it; it will be a new start for both of us."

The filly leaned forward and embraced Dash's neck, quickly whispering something barely audible before she let go and started to walk away.

Dash's eyes followed Scootaloo as she walked away. "What was that, Scoot?" she asked shortly after.

Scootaloo's body stiffened like a bolt of lightning went through her and muttered, "Nothing…"

A smile formed itself over Dash's face. She stood up and caught up with Scootaloo. She grabbed hold of her and pulled her close, placing a soft peck on her forehead.

"I love you too…" she said as she felt her eyes well up.

Sitting like that, she felt the filly's mane tingle on her snout. Her eyes wandered down and saw a tear trickle down from Scootaloo's eye. She blinked as she felt moisture run down her own chin.

When did I become this soft? she thought as she sniffled and croaked, "Hey, Scoots… let's make it less sappy when we tell this to the others, alright?"

Scootaloo nodded quickly and answered, "Yeah…"

After some time had passed, they said their goodbyes and Scootaloo ran down to her room. Dash walked over to the saddlebag that lay on the ground and picked it up. The bag was a few sizes too big, but not too big to be used. Picking up the paper, she placed it down in the bag and closed it.

Exiting the orphanage, she felt the midday sun play on her fur, warming her to the very core of her body. She opened her eyes, looked towards Ponyville and chuckled.

It's going to be alright, I know it… she thought to herself as she jumped up and flew away towards the spa.


End file.
